Waterbirds in the UK 2010/11 - Wetland Bird Survey

Waterbirds in the UK 2010/11

The Wetland Bird Survey

Chas Holt, Graham Austin, Neil Calbrade,

Heidi Mellan, Richard Hearn, David Stroud,

Simon Wotton & Andy Musgrove

Published by

British Trust for Ornithology,

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

and Joint Nature Conservation Committee

in association with

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

September 2012

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© BTO/RSPB/JNCC in association with WWT

All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review (as permitted under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988), no part of this publication may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright holder. ISBN 978-1-906204-33-4 ISSN 1755-6384 This publication should be cited as: Holt, C.A., Austin, G.E., Calbrade, N.A., Mellan, H.J., Hearn, R.D., Stroud, D.A., Wotton, S.R. & Musgrove, A.J. 2012. Waterbirds in the UK

2010/11: The Wetland Bird Survey. BTO/RSPB/ JNCC, Thetford. Published by: BTO, RSPB and JNCC in association with WWT. www.bto.org/webs Cover: Winter Trio: Pintails - Thelma Sykes. Thelma was born in Yorkshire and now lives in Cheshire close to the Dee Estuary – a source of both inspiration and subject matter. She came to print-making without formal training, but has become one of the most respected artists in that medium. Elected to the Society of Wildlife Artists (in the Federaton of British Artists) in 1999, her prints are now held in many collections including the Mall Galleries in London. Some of Thelma’s prints have also been used on BTO merchandise. Photos: Dawn Balmer, John Bowers, Neil Calbrade, Edmund Fellowes, gray-images.co.uk, John Harding, Tommy Holden, Howard Lacey, Amy Lewis, Jill Pakenham, Rob Robinson, Glyn Sellors, Howard Vaughan Artwork: Jack Ashton-Booth, C.J.F. Coombs, Thelma Sykes Produced by: BTO Printed by: Swallowtail Print, Drayton Industrial Park, Taverham Road, Norwich NR8 6RL. www.swallowtailprint.co.uk Available from: BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK.

This report is provided free to all WeBS counters and those who participate in the other national waterbird surveys, none of whom receive financial reward for their invaluable work. Additional feedback is provided to counters through the annual WeBS Newsletter. For further information please contact the WeBS Office at the BTO: [email protected]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book represents the twenty-ninth report of the Wetland Bird Survey and comprises information from WeBS and complementary national and local surveys, e.g. goose censuses. It is entirely dependent on the many thousands of dedicated volunteer ornithologists who supply the data, and to whom we are extremely grateful. The Local Organisers who coordinate these counts deserve special thanks for their contribution. We are also grateful to the following individuals and groups for providing technical assistance, supplementary information and additional data, or comments on draft texts: Niall Burton, Lee Cadwell, Nigel Clark, Mark Collier, Aonghais Cook, COWRIE, Olivia Crowe, Diana de Palacio, Iain Downie, Simon Gillings, Matthew Guillemain, Colette Hall, Mark Hammond, Paul Harrup, Paul Harvey, Martin Heubeck, Maria Knight, John Marchant, Carl Mitchell, Nick Moran, Deborah Procter, Warren Read, Jim Reid, Marcia Sayer, John Shillitoe, Judith Smith, Ron Summers, Richard Thewlis, Rick Vonk, Chris Waltho, Colin Wells, Linda Wilson, Ilka Win, and Karen Wright. Many amateur observers also provide reports of their studies; these are acknowledged within the text. Grateful thanks to all and apologies to anyone who has inadvertently been missed. Any maps partially based on Ordnance Survey products have been reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO. © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence Number 100021787.

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THE WETLAND BIRD SURVEY

Organised and funded by: British Trust for Ornithology

The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU www.bto.org

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL www.rspb.org.uk

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY www.jncc.org.uk

in association with

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT www.wwt.org.uk

WETLAND BIRD SURVEY CONTACTS

WeBS Counter Network: Heidi Mellan WeBS Core Counts: Chas Holt WeBS Low Tide Counts: Neil Calbrade General queries: [email protected] WeBS Office British Trust for Ornithology The Nunnery Thetford Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK Tel: 01842 750050 Fax: 01842 750030 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] www.bto.org/webs

GOOSE & SWAN CENSUSES

Organised and funded by: Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Scottish Natural Heritage. Contact: Carl Mitchell E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Slimbridge Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, UK Tel: 01453 891225 Fax: 01453 891901 www.wwt.org.uk/speciesmonitoring

OTHER NATIONAL WATERBIRD SURVEYS

Details of, and contacts for, many of the other waterbird surveys used in this report and of forthcoming surveys, can be obtained via the websites of the WeBS partner organisations. ERRATA TO PREVIOUS REPORTS

Please note the following corrections to data presented in previous reports: Kingsbridge Estuary: The peak count of Little Egret in 2009/10 was 90 (not 13). Langstone Harbour: Incorrect totals for Dark-bellied Brent Goose and Black-necked Grebe in 2009/10 were used in the sites tables. Ribble Estuary: The peak count of Wigeon in 2008/09 was 97,512 (not 101,594). Stour Estuary: Incorrect totals for Dunlin in 2008/09 and 2009/10 were used in the sites table.

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 2 The Wetland Bird Survey 3 WeBS Contacts 3 National Goose Censuses 3 Other National Waterbird Surveys 3 Errata to previous reports 3 Summary 5 Introduction 7

Aims, Objectives & Methods* 7 Weather in 2010/11 8 Coverage 10 Total Numbers 11 Species Accounts 24

Swans 25 Geese 30 Ducks 49 Divers 82 Cormorants 85 Herons 87 Grebes 92 Rails 97 Waders 101 Gulls 138 Terns 148 Kingfisher 151

Principal Sites 152 WeBS Low Tide Counts 157

Aims, Methods, Data presentation 157 Estuary Accounts 158 Acknowledgements 171 References 172

Glossary 176

Appendices 178

Appendix 1. International and National Importance 178 Appendix 2. Locations of Principal WeBS Count Sites 181 *Details of WeBS survey methods, analysis, data presentation, interpretation of waterbird counts, and historical reports, are available via the WeBS website: www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/webs/publications/annual-reports

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Summary

WeBS AND ‘WATERBIRDS IN THE UK’

The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) is a joint scheme of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), in association with Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). The principal aims of the scheme are to identify population sizes, determine trends in numbers and distribution, and identify important sites for non-breeding waterbirds in the UK. WeBS Core Counts are made annually at approximately 2,000 wetland sites of all habitats; estuaries and large still waters predominate. Monthly coordinated counts are made mostly by volunteers, principally from September to March, with fewer observations during summer months. Data from other sources, e.g. roost counts of geese, are included where relevant. This report presents total numbers counted for all species in the most recent year in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Annual indices are provided for the more numerous species, as are monthly indices showing relative abundance during the winter. Following publication of latest waterbird population estimates (Wetlands International 2012), revised thresholds for listing sites of international importance are used in this report. Where applicable, interpretation of WeBS results is placed in the context of trends from other countries in the East Atlantic flyway.

2010/11 WeBS COVERAGE

This report summarises counts during 2010/11 and previous years (since 1960 for wildfowl, 1969 for waders, and the early 1980s/1990s for other species). In 2010/11, WeBS counters covered 4,476 count sectors at 2,422 count sites. A total of 4,409 sectors were counted at least once during the core ‘winter’ period of September to March, and over 2,000 were covered in all twelve months. This represents a fantastic effort by everyone

involved. A huge THANK YOU goes to all!

WeBS HEADLINES FROM 2010/11

The coldest winter for 35 years… resulted in frozen conditions across northwest Europe. Many wetlands in the UK were frozen during November 2010 to January 2011. Responses to cold weather… The number of European White-fronted Geese was the highest in the UK for several years, and bucks a recent ‘short stopping’ trend. Following a record peak of 5,600+ Svalbard Light-bellied Brent Geese at Lindisfarne in autumn, an influx was noted on the east coast of Britain in response to the cold midwinter conditions in Denmark and adjacent areas. Species such as Lapwing, Grey Plover and Smew also reached notable peaks in the UK during the cold period (including a record count of 72,319 Lapwings at Somerset Levels in January). In contrast, the frozen conditions resulted in marked net decreases of some wildfowl and waders at WeBS sites; species such as Shoveler and Golden Plover probably departed the UK in search of milder areas, perhaps further south in the flyway. Ducks declining or shifting range? Northern Ireland’s wintering populations of most ducks, both dabbling and diving species, continue to decline. Reasons are not fully understood, but it may be in response to recent climate change. In Britain, Pochard and Goldeneye also declined further, despite frozen midwinter conditions across northwest Europe which, all else being equal, might have been expected to lead to an arrival of waterfowl to the UK. Seaducks… particularly Long-tailed Duck and Velvet Scoter, appear to be in serious decline in the UK. This is in line with the situation elsewhere, including the Baltic Sea.

Ringed Plovers… have reached lowest ever wintering numbers across the UK.

Little Egrets… Following the rapid increase in the England since the mid-1990s, numbers at WeBS sites are now stable (but may be continuing to increase within the wider countryside).

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2010/11 WATERBIRD SUMMARY

Swans & Geese Numbers of Bewick’s Swan rose slightly

compared to recent winters, while Whooper

Swan numbers were in keeping with the species’ upward trend. Whereas the estimated number of Pink-footed Geese fell compared to the last two years, all-time peaks in terms of national index values were once again attained by both the Svalbard and Canadian populations of Light-

bellied Brent Goose, Svalbard Barnacle Goose, as well as Egyptian Goose and naturalised

Barnacle Goose. During the cold midwinter period, European White-fronted Goose showed a marked rise compared to recent years. There was further evidence that a drop in numbers of Greenland White-fronted Goose has bottomed out. Canada and Greylag Geese (both the Icelandic and British populations) were present in typically high numbers.

Ducks Dabbling ducks responded to freezing

conditions during the midwinter period; influxes of Wigeon, Teal and Mallard contrasted with an exodus of Shoveler and another poor showing by Pintail. These events occurred within the context of probable longer-term shifts in core wintering range of species such as Mallard, Pochard, Goldeneye and Red-breasted

Merganser, that may be at least partly in response to the longer-term trend of relatively mild winters. Gadwall and Tufted Duck both

remained at high levels in 2010/11 in Britain, and Smew numbers were notably greater than recent years. Eider continue to decline slowly in Britain. In general, monitoring of seaducks through WeBS is notoriously difficult; species such as Long-tailed Duck and Velvet Scoter require more targeted surveys of favoured sites, so it is difficult to draw conclusions about the current status of these species.

Divers, Grebes, Herons & Rails

The divers and scarcer sea grebes were present in similar numbers to recent years; the assessment of which relies heavily on submission of supplementary data from sites not counted routinely through Core counts. Both Little and Great Crested Grebes decreased

during the frozen conditions in December and January, and the former appears to have struggled to recover in subsequent months.

Although Little Egret continued to expand both north and westward in England, the overall trend at WeBS sites is no longer one of increase. Also stable in Britain is Coot, but a recent marked decline is apparent in Northern Ireland. Moorhen shows signs of a slight drop in Britain, perhaps in response to increased mortality after two cold winters.

Waders

Golden Plover and Lapwing, whose numbers typically fluctuate more than other waders, have both shown recent declines; the former showed a particularly marked drop in response to the cold weather. The long-term decline of Ringed

Plover continues, although Dunlin is showing some signs of stability and both Curlew and Redshank bucked recent downward trends. Turnstone remained close to the all-time low reached in 2009/10. There were further improved fortunes for Grey Plover and Sanderling, and Bar-tailed Godwit also appears to be recovering from a slump six years ago. Numbers of wintering Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet remained high and the populations of both continue to rise. Knot and Purple

Sandpiper have remained stable in the last decade, but Oystercatcher are showing signs of a recent decline particularly in Scotland. Numbers of Snipe recorded were lower than normal, in response to the cold winter; the WeBS trend for this species is included for the first time.

Gulls & Terns

Gulls and terns recorded by WeBS reflect coverage as much as abundance of birds per se. WeBS trends for the six most regular gull species are again published in this report. The increase in Mediterranean Gull is again evident. Numbers of Black-headed, Herring and Great Black-

backed Gulls appear to be relatively stable at WeBS sites in Britain, whereas Common and

Lesser Black-backed Gulls are both showing signs of decline.

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Introduction

The UK is of outstanding international importance for waterbirds. Lying on some of the major flyways for Arctic-nesting species, large numbers of waterbirds are attracted, especially during winter, by the relatively mild climate and extensive areas of wetland, notably estuaries. The UK thus has both moral and legal obligations to conserve both these waterbirds and the wetlands upon which they depend.

As a signatory to a number of international conservation conventions, and as a member of the EU, the UK is bound by international law. In particular, the ‘Ramsar’ Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, the EU Birds Directive and the EU Habitats and Species Directive, between them, require the UK to identify important examples of wetland and other habitats and sites important for birds and designate them for protection. Implicit in these obligations is the need for regular monitoring to identify and manage such sites. These instruments also lay particular significance on the need to conserve migratory populations, and consequently most of the waterbird populations in the UK.

The UK has ratified the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) of the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. AEWA entered into force in 1999. It is a specific Agreement requiring nations to take coordinated measures to conserve migratory waterbirds given their particular vulnerability due to their migration over long distances and their dependence on networks that are decreasing in extent and becoming degraded through non-sustainable human activities. Article three of the Agreement requires, among other things, that sites and habitats for migratory waterbirds are identified, protected and managed appropriately, that parties initiate or support research into the ecology of these species, and exchange information and results. Explicit in this Agreement is that adequate monitoring programmes are set in place to fulfil these objectives and the Action Plan to the Agreement specifically requires that nations endeavour to monitor waterbird populations.

The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) aims to monitor all non-breeding waterbirds in the UK in order to provide the principal data on which the conservation of their populations is based. To this end, WeBS has three main objectives:

• to assess the size of non-breeding waterbird populations in the UK;

• to assess trends in their numbers and distribution; and

• to assess the importance of individual sites for waterbirds. These results also form the basis for informed

decision-making by conservation bodies, planners and developers and contribute to the sustainable and wise use and management of wetlands and their dependent waterbirds. The data and the WeBS report also fulfil some of the objectives of the Conventions and Directives listed above. WeBS also provides UK data to Wetlands International to assist their function of coordinating and reporting upon waterbird status at an international flyway scale.

Structure and organisation of WeBS

WeBS is a partnership scheme of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) (on behalf of the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), Natural England (NE) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)), in association with Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.

WeBS continues the traditions of two, long-running count schemes which formed the mainstay of UK waterbird monitoring since 1947 (Cranswick et al. 1997). WeBS Core Counts are carried out at a wide variety of wetlands throughout the UK. Synchronised counts are conducted once per month, particularly from September to March, to fulfil all three main objectives. In addition, WeBS Low Tide Counts are undertaken on selected estuaries with the aim of identifying key areas used during the low tide period, principally by feeding birds; areas not otherwise noted for their importance by Core Counts which are normally conducted at high tide. The success and growth of these count schemes accurately reflects the enthusiasm and dedication of the several thousands of volunteer

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ornithologists who participate. It is largely due to their efforts that waterbird monitoring in the UK is held in such high regard internationally.

Aim of this report

This report presents syntheses of data collected between July 2010 and June 2011 (see The WeBS

Year), and in previous years, in line with the WeBS objectives. Data from other national and local waterbird monitoring schemes, notably the WWT/JNCC/SNH Goose & Swan Monitoring Programme, are included where WeBS data alone are insufficient to fulfil this aim, so that the report provides a single, comprehensive source of information on waterbird status and distribution in the UK.

Species accounts provide yearly maxima for all sites supporting internationally and nationally important numbers. Sites with changed status are highlighted and significant counts are discussed. Wherever possible, counts are placed in an international context and relevant research is summarised. Waterbird totals are provided for all sites meeting criteria for international importance and species occurring in internationally important numbers on each are identified.

WeBS Low Tide Counts are carried out on selected estuaries to determine the distribution of birds during low tide, and to identify important feeding areas that may not be recognised during Core Counts that are made mostly at high tide. A summary of results for these estuaries, and distribution maps for selected species, are provided.

Waterbird totals recorded by the Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS), a similar scheme operating in the Republic of Ireland, are also included.

Methods

Details of WeBS methodologies, included in the Introduction of the annual WeBS report until Holt et al. (2009), are available via the WeBS website: www.bto.org/webs.

WEATHER IN 2010/11

This summary of UK weather is drawn from the Meteorological Office web site at www.metoffice.gov.uk. Bracketed figures following the month refer to the Core Count priority date for the month in question.

United Kingdom

July (18) saw a west-east split in terms of weather. Temperatures and rainfall were typical across much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western England, but it was warmer and drier than expected elsewhere particularly East Anglia.

August (15) was characterised by cool and rather cloudy weather, with showers and longer spells of rain. It was the coolest August since 1993, while in East Anglia it was the second wettest August on record.

September (19) proved to be an extremely changeable month with plenty of rain, especially across the northern half of the UK, but also some more settled spells. Overall, over the course of the month, average temperatures and rainfall levels were close to normal.

October (10) saw an opening period of unsettled weather across the UK, with copious rainfall. Colder, settled conditions mid-month were followed by the return of frontal systems and associated unsettled weather. Overall, rainfall amounts were close to normal in most areas, and it proved to be the equal-sunniest October on record in Wales.

November (14) saw temperatures well below average across most of the UK, typically by 1.5-2.0°C. Consequently, it proved to be the coldest November since 1993. The lowest temperature registered was -18°C in Powys; new November minima were set for Wales and Northern Ireland. Rainfall was generally close to normal in most areas.

Cold conditions intensified in December (19) and mean temperatures proved to approximately 5°C lower than normal. This rendered it the coldest December in over 100 years. There was significant snowfall in many areas and a minimum temperature of -21.3°C was recorded in Highland. Although it was cold throughout, a period of exceptionally frozen conditions occurred for ten days from mid-month, which therefore impacted WeBS coverage for the month.

In January (16), the very cold conditions from the previous month slowly moderated during the open fortnight. Overall, temperatures remained below average, and Scotland continued to experience snow and frozen conditions beyond mid-month. Despite a gradual thaw, some freshwater wetlands remained

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frozen at the time of the mid-month WeBS Core count date.

February (13) proved to be a more typical month with Atlantic depressions bringing unsettled conditions to much of the UK. Average temperature was about 2°C higher than the recent thirty-year average; the ninth mildest February in the last 100 years and a stark contrast to the preceding two months.

March (13) proved to be largely dry and settled thorough the first half of the month, although there was a period of snowfall in Scotland during the second week. Rainfall was very low across much of England; East Anglia experienced its second driest March in 100 years.

April (17) was dominated by high pressure and most of the UK experienced warm, dry conditions. Overall, England recorded less than 10 % of expected rainfall. It was the sunniest April since 1929, and a maximum temperature of 28°C was noted in Surrey.

May (15) proved to be relatively unsettled with more rainfall than expected in the north and west, but relatively dry conditions persisted in the east. Mean temperatures were slightly above average.

After a dry start, June (12) proved to be wetter than expected across many parts, particularly central and southern England where it was 150% wetter than normal.

Table 1. The percentage of inland count units (lakes, reservoirs, gravel pits, rivers and canals) in the UK with any ice and with 75% or more of their surface covered by ice during WeBS counts in winter 2010/11 (England divided by a line drawn roughly between the Humber and the Mersey Estuaries).

Region Ice S O N D J F M

Northern Ireland >0% 0 0 0 86 35 0 0

>74% 0 0 0 66 22 0 0

Scotland >0% 0 <1 13 75 54 10 3

>74% 0 0 6 68 40 5 <1

N England >0% 0 0 3 81 22 <1 <1

>74% 0 0 <1 73 7 0 0

S England >0% 0 <1 2 82 9 1 <1

>74% 0 0 <1 70 4 <1 0

Wales >0% 0 0 <1 81 7 2 0

>74% 0 0 0 60 5 0 0

Arctic Breeding Conditions 2010

Arctic breeding conditions for birds that winter within the UK are summarised from information available from the website www.arcticbirds.ru having been collated by Soloviev & Tomkovich (2011). Typically, there was considerable variation in summer temperatures across the Arctic region in 2010, but generally the figures were above average. This was particularly the case across most of arctic Russia, eastern Siberia, arctic Canada and Greenland – where recorded temperatures were up to 5.5°C higher than usual. An exception to this was northern Scandinavia where it was cooler than expected, particularly during the early stages of the summer.

Rodent abundance was generally low across most arctic regions in 2010, although high densities were recorded at a scattering of regularly monitored sites in arctic Russia.

Indications from sites across the Arctic were of good avian breeding success across the majority of regions in 2010. Typically however, some stations did not conform to this trend; for example, results from the small number of monitoring stations located in Greenland and northern Canada were more mixed, and in some cases there success was considered to be poor.

Turnstone chicks (Jack Ashton-Booth)

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COVERAGE

WeBS Core Counts

Coordinated, synchronous counts are advocated to prevent double-counting or birds being missed. Priority dates are recommended nationally (Table 2). Due to differences in tidal regimes around the country, counts at some estuaries were made on other dates to match the most suitable conditions. Weather and counter availability also result in some counts being made on alternative dates. Standard Core counts were received from 2,422 sites for July 2010 to June 2011 (5% increase compared to previous year), comprising 4,476 count sectors (sub-divisions of large sites for which separate counts are provided).

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Figure 1. Position of all locations counted for standard WeBS and I-WeBS counts between July 2010 and June 2011.

WeBS and I-WeBS coverage in 2010/11 is

shown in Figure 1. The location of each count sector is shown using only its central grid reference. The grid references of principal WeBS count sites mentioned in the Principal Sites table (Table 6.) are given in Table A2, Appendix 2 and are shown in Figure A1, Appendix 2.

Table 2. WeBS Core Count priority dates in 2010/11

18 July 16 January 15 August 13 February 19 September 13 March 10 October 17 April 14 November 15 May 19 December 12 June

Areas with few wetlands (e.g. inland Essex/ Suffolk) or low population density (e.g. much of Scotland) are apparent on the map as areas with little coverage. Although poorly covered compared to most areas, Northwest Scotland was again covered by the RAF Ornithological Society in 2010/11. Northern Ireland remains relatively poorly covered away from the major sites, and further volunteers from there or indeed anywhere in the UK are always welcome.

Goose censuses

In 2010/11, counts of Taiga Bean Geese were submitted by the Bean Goose Action Group (Slamannan Plateau) and the RSPB (Middle Yare Marshes). Surveys of Pink-footed and Icelandic Greylag Geese were undertaken at, primarily, roost sites in October to December 2010 as part of the Icelandic-breeding Goose Census. A census of Greylag Geese at key sites in Northwest Scotland was carried out in August 2010 and February 2011 by the Uist Greylag Goose Management Committee and other groups. Counts of Greenland White-fronted Geese were undertaken by the Greenland White-fronted Goose Study. Greenland Barnacle Geese were counted regularly by SNH and others on Islay and other key locations, while Svalbard Barnacle Geese on the Solway were counted regularly by WWT staff and volunteers. Data were also provided by the International Light-bellied Brent Goose census.

Seaduck surveys

Monthly aerial and/or land-based counts of Common Scoter in Carmarthen Bay were carried out in January to March 2010 (CCW/APEM 2012).

11

TOTAL NUMBERS

Total numbers of waterbirds recorded through WeBS in 2010/11 are given in Tables 3 & 4, for Great Britain (including Isle of Man but excluding Channel Islands) and Northern Ireland, respectively. Site coverage for gulls and terns is given separately since recording of these species was optional. I-WeBS counts of waterbirds in Ireland are

available from a link on the WeBS website at

www.bto.org/webs.

Grey Plovers (John Bowers)

Introduced and escaped waterbirds

Many species of waterbird occur in the UK as a result of introductions, particularly through escapes from collections. Several species have become established, e.g. Canada Goose. The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee categorises each species occurring in Britain according to its likely origin. The categories are explained at www.bou.org.uk. Species that have been recorded as ‘introductions, human-assisted transportees or escapes from captivity, and whose breeding populations (if any) are not thought to be self-sustaining’ are included in the BOURC’s category E. WeBS records of these species are included in this report both for the sake of completeness and in order to assess their status and monitor any changes in numbers, a key requirement given the need, under the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement of the Bonn Convention ‘...to prevent the unintentional release of such species...’ and once introduced, the need ‘...to prevent these species from becoming a threat to indigenous species’ (Holmes et al. 1998).

Numbers of established populations (e.g. Canada Goose and Ruddy Duck, which are placed in category C) are excluded from Figure 2.

Additionally, species that occur both naturally (category A) and as introductions or escapes (category E), e.g. Pink-footed Goose, are also excluded since separation of introduced and escaped birds from wild ones is not readily possible. However, Ruddy Shelduck (categories B/E) is included; the BOURC does not consider any recent records to have been of wild origin. Additionally, a small number of species not yet assigned to category by BOURC (e.g. Coscoroba Swan) are included.

A total of 22 category E species were recorded in 2010/11, at 182 sites. This is an increase of 2% in terms of sites compared to 2009/10. The summed site maximum of 417 birds is the same total as that registered in 2009/10.

Typically, the majority of the total (53%) was made up of Black Swans and Muscovy Ducks. These were followed in abundance by Bar-headed Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Chinese Goose, Emperor Goose, Lesser Canada Goose, Wood Duck; all of which were recorded in at least double-figures.

Figure 2. Number of species (white bars), number of sites at which birds were recorded (grey bars) and summed site maxima (black bars) for waterbirds in the BOURC’s category E.

Wood Duck (Neil Calbrade)

12

Table 3. Total numbers of waterbirds recorded by WeBS Core Counts in Great Britain in 2010/11. Census totals are indicated by ‘*’.

Species Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov

Number of sites visited 944 1,011 1,554 1,794 1,822

YU Lesser Whistling Duck 0 0 0 1 0

MS Mute Swan 13,768 16,101 20,293 22,852 23,440

AS Black Swan 33 44 46 44 41

BS Bewick's Swan 0 0 0 0 99

WS Whooper Swan 24 16 165 1,358 6,160

HN Chinese Goose 0 0 3 6 7

XF Taiga Bean Goose 0 0 210* 250* 265*

XR Tundra Bean Goose 0 0 0 0 8

PG Pink-footed Goose 18 27 24,340 288,798* 271,394*

EW European White-fronted Goose 0 0 0 58 94

NW Greenland White-fronted Goose 1 1 10 3 1,049

LC Lesser White-fronted Goose 1 0 1 3 3

JI Icelandic Greylag Goose 3,944 5,232 7,903 23,948 101,506*

JE British Greylag Goose 18,624 30,439 37,428 39,448 37,207

ZM Hybrid goose 32 32 33 44 28

HD Bar-headed Goose 10 9 18 30 8

SJ Snow Goose 1 2 4 6 4

RJ Ross's Goose 1 1 0 5 4

EM Emperor Goose 5 14 12 13 12

CG Canada Goose 39,561 46,073 62,515 65,548 58,936

LQ Lesser Canada Goose 0 0 2 3 1

NE Hawaiian Goose 0 0 0 0 0

YN Greenland Barnacle Goose 1 0 218 317 1,924

YS Svalbard Barnacle Goose 28 24 33 35,640* 23,180

YE Naturalised Barnacle Goose 331 454 895 1,100 1,324

DB Dark-bellied Brent Goose 41 13 264 59,676 58,916

QN Canadian Light-bellied Brent Goose 0 1 42 480 844

QS Svalbard Light-bellied Brent Goose 1 1 2,837 5,637 5,385

BB Black Brant 0 0 0 0 4

EB Red-breasted Goose 1 1 5 0 5

EG Egyptian Goose 492 620 724 602 371

UB Paradise Shelduck 0 0 0 0 0

UA Australian Shelduck 0 0 0 0 0

UD Ruddy Shelduck 1 7 3 3 6

SU Shelduck 18,197 14,000 25,314 37,673 46,806

MY Muscovy Duck 27 18 31 44 58

DC Wood Duck 3 2 3 6 5

MN Mandarin 215 231 370 400 703

MQ Maned Duck 0 0 1 1 0

WN Wigeon 470 1,122 34,818 183,569 289,502

AW American Wigeon 0 0 0 0 0

HL Chiloe Wigeon 2 0 6 1 1

GA Gadwall 3,728 7,986 13,291 15,478 16,826

IK Baikal Teal 0 0 0 0 0

T. Teal 1,447 13,960 58,320 114,774 118,361

TA Green-winged Teal 0 0 0 0 2

MA Mallard 55,234 76,805 112,076 127,198 126,619

ZF Feral/hybrid mallard type 477 470 540 690 726

QB Chestnut Teal 0 1 0 0 1

PT Pintail 8 109 3,296 9,592 15,561

YL Yellow-billed Pintail 0 0 0 0 0

PN White-cheeked Pintail 0 1 1 1 0

GY Garganey 6 32 16 6 3

13

Table 3. continued

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

sites 1,525 1,965 1,959 1,804 1,151 986 973 YU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 MS 17,002 20,080 18,479 17,839 11,336 9,467 12,000 AS 38 21 19 27 22 21 21 BS 1,023 1,939 1,565 67 0 0 0 WS 4,135 4,795 5,843 5,214 162 47 20 HN 4 10 6 7 1 2 1 XF 126 82 80 0 0 0 0 XR 5 26 21 3 1 0 0 PG 225,221* 152,916 67,956 71,459 48,958 1,973 69 EW 1,153 3,087 1,788 118 11 0 0 NW 12,435* 553 208 13,255* 10 0 0 LC 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 JI 98,078* 21,671 19,798 20,975 1,546 889 4,064 JE 28,335 31,975 21,775 20,347 10,362 10,957 22,989

ZM 29 33 19 25 68 17 34 HD 7 14 9 3 5 7 12 SJ 26 0 2 8 1 3 0 RJ 2 4 1 1 1 0 1 EM 10 9 8 7 7 9 8 CG 44,184 60,044 41,590 30,661 16,593 14,119 30,240 LQ 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 NE 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 YN 44,844* 618 1,476 35,661* 655 13 0 YS 11,076 23,953 5,362 16,759 15,718 244 8 YE 891 1,802 1,014 1,297 408 467 569 DB 49,236 68,483 71,550 47,694 14,330 4,688 65 QN 907 1,018 564 736 22 0 1 QS 1,869 4,498 1,993 855 19 4 0 BB 3 5 5 2 0 0 0 EB 4 2 3 6 0 3 2 EG 304 429 412 358 385 304 443 UB 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 UA 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 UD 2 2 3 5 1 1 0 SU 28,060 52,041 45,398 37,776 20,145 13,956 15,471 MY 36 65 46 48 30 37 33 DC 3 4 5 7 2 1 0 MN 326 442 325 265 207 210 215 MQ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WN 265,219 391,660 245,046 127,978 2,747 277 279 AW 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 HL 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 GA 17,457 20,526 16,719 10,395 4,395 3,466 3,909 IK 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 T. 105,769 162,401 142,773 63,934 7,260 383 536 TA 3 4 2 3 1 0 0 MA 121,279 133,775 93,313 62,340 31,168 30,983 43,759 ZF 597 700 659 575 343 332 410 QB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PT 12,340 19,655 15,592 4,923 174 32 12 YL 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 PN 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 GY 0 0 0 2 39 45 11

14

Table 3. continued

Species Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Number of sites visited 944 1,011 1,554 1,794 1,822

TB Blue-winged Teal 0 0 0 0 0

SV Shoveler 549 2,337 8,107 11,104 10,469

IE Ringed Teal 2 0 1 0 0

RQ Red-crested Pochard 46 133 397 348 470

PO Pochard 2,876 5,567 7,415 9,574 16,846

NG Ring-necked Duck 1 0 1 2 2

FD Ferruginous Duck 1 2 3 4 2

TU Tufted Duck 25,068 38,279 51,368 53,699 55,626

SP Scaup 7 9 15 928 1,299

AY Lesser Scaup 0 0 0 0 0

ZD Aythya hybrid 1 0 1 8 7

EE Eider (Except Shetland) 14,295 15,342 15,022 16,506 16,420

EF Eider (Shetland) 28 20 0 0 1

KE King Eider 0 0 1 0 1

LN Long-tailed Duck 0 0 2 1,011 481

CX Common Scoter 441 1,957 2466 2,859 5,354

FS Surf Scoter 0 0 0 0 1

VS Velvet Scoter 133 173 285 72 102

UX Unidentified scoter 0 0 0 70 0

DX Black Scoter 0 0 0 0 0

GN Goldeneye 295 254 317 881 7,144

HO Hooded Merganser 0 0 0 0 0

SY Smew 0 1 1 3 15

RM Red-breasted Merganser 704 930 1,038 1,622 2,712

GD Goosander 889 1,215 1,331 1,824 2,622

RY Ruddy Duck 62 71 118 121 111

UM Unidentified duck 9 4 9 165 25

RH Red-throated Diver 40 74 285 283 357

BV Black-throated Diver 2 4 9 31 33

ND Great Northern Diver 2 2 3 42 215

UL Unidentified diver 0 0 1 0 0

PJ Pied-billed Grebe 0 0 0 0 1

LG Little Grebe 1,867 3,343 5,276 5,260 4,908

GG Great Crested Grebe 4,555 6,548 9,312 8,719 8,555

RX Red-necked Grebe 0 0 5 2 7

SZ Slavonian Grebe 2 4 21 187 229

BN Black-necked Grebe 11 24 19 21 17

UV Unidentified grebe 0 0 0 1 0

CA Cormorant 7,823 11,137 16,445 17,591 17,333

SA Shag 315 1,008 2,001 2,233 2,777

XU Unidentified Cormorant/Shag 0 0 0 1 0

BI Bittern 4 3 6 6 24

NT Night Heron 0 0 0 0 0

QH Squacco Heron 0 0 0 1 1

EC Cattle Egret 0 2 0 1 3

ET Little Egret 2,049 3,286 4,368 4,423 2,865

HW Great White Egret 2 1 4 9 7

H. Grey Heron 2,436 2,758 3,938 4,178 3,716

UR Purple Heron 1 1 0 0 0

OR White Stork 0 0 1 0 0

IB Glossy Ibis 0 0 3 1 3

NB Spoonbill 28 47 43 21 34

FL Greater Flamingo 0 0 0 0 0

WA Water Rail 46 69 124 284 575

15

Table 3. continued


sites 1,525 1,965 1,959 1,804 1,151 986 973

TB 0 0 2 0 1 0 1

SV 7,798 9,032 9,753 8,124 1,437 566 477

IE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

RQ 461 346 371 316 38 72 49

PO 15,715 20,577 19,306 9,702 1,355 1,261 1,547

NG 1 1 3 2 1 0 0

FD 2 0 2 1 0 0 0

TU 47,364 61,795 56,636 47,787 24,141 10,173 10,193

SP 1,831 1,377 1,304 433 251 10 1

AY 0 3 2 2 1 0 0

ZD 4 11 5 4 4 0 1

EE 14,482 14,386 15,060 17,258 14,115 12,994 14,404

EF 0 1 0 2 21 26 12

KE 0 1 0 0 0 1 1

LN 1,002 1,011 1,006 765 86 15 5

CX 4,050 9,608 11,562 19,588 8,954 925 810

FS 0 1 0 1 0 2 0

VS 53 783 417 361 196 358 166

UX 0 304 8 0 0 0 0

DX 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

GN 7,035 10,184 12,564 11,078 1,290 25 56

HO 1 1 1 2 0 1 0

SY 145 232 196 105 1 0 0

RM 2,107 2,521 2,764 3,252 1,236 501 642

GD 2,361 4,643 4,040 2,862 732 350 603

RY 108 99 49 30 27 20 28

UM 56 87 215 15 3 6 10

RH 434 443 416 638 163 47 38

BV 52 72 45 78 36 3 6

ND 100 93 124 88 76 27 2

UL 4 0 2 4 0 0 0

PJ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LG 3,439 2,866 2,673 2,316 1,163 921 883

GG 6,494 4,692 6,976 6,887 4,634 3,539 3,721

RX 9 9 7 7 5 6 0

SZ 186 114 252 143 24 3 0

BN 71 51 62 59 41 23 24

UV 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

CA 10,408 12,680 13,699 10,872 5,574 5,677 6,553

SA 1,100 1,408 1,416 930 382 424 370

XU 0 1 2 1 0 1 0

BI 92 56 46 31 13 6 3

NT 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

QH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

EC 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

ET 628 869 938 1,198 798 714 830

HW 5 10 8 6 0 0 3

H. 1,789 2,833 3,216 2,788 1,993 1,873 2,075

UR 0 0 0 0 2 0 1

OR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

IB 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

NB 18 26 17 19 8 10 30

FL 0 1 0 0 1 1 1

WA 317 195 171 164 45 33 29

16

Table 3. continued

Species Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov

Number of sites visited 944 1,011 1,554 1,794 1,822

AK Spotted Crake 0 2 0 0 0

CE Corncrake 0 0 0 0 0

MH Moorhen 5,165 7,202 10,970 11,530 12,503

CO Coot 48,326 69,428 102,730 106,819 114,436

AN Crane 0 2 0 5 3

KF Kingfisher 160 223 426 389 444

TOTAL WILDFOWL 274,974 385,311 649,975 1,298,145 1,496,155

Species Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Number of sites visited 944 1,011 1,554 1,794 1,822

OC Oystercatcher 41,056 159,698 233,028 246,014 238,924

AV Avocet 2,499 2,136 1,596 7,183 7,076

TN Stone Curlew 3 7 0 0 0

KP Kentish Plover 0 0 0 0 0

LP Little Ringed Plover 310 107 14 2 1

RP Ringed Plover 1,431 11,220 11,537 8,950 6,520

ID American Golden Plover 0 0 0 1 0

GP Golden Plover 3,847 19,401 25,492 64,763 144,916

GV Grey Plover 792 13,174 23,798 32,620 27,577

L. Lapwing 21,220 51,237 60,997 91,347 185,251

KN Knot 25,158 149,919 225,769 261,164 199,291

SS Sanderling 2,035 8,686 11,827 7,531 9,012

LX Little Stint 1 19 76 50 6

TK Temminck's Stint 0 1 0 0 0

BQ Buff-breasted Sandpiper 0 0 0 3 0

BP Baird's Sandpiper 0 0 0 1 0

PP Pectoral Sandpiper 1 0 13 2 0

CV Curlew Sandpiper 4 19 272 73 2

PS Purple Sandpiper 52 101 152 444 882

DN Dunlin 40,280 49,791 57,183 184,640 275,621

RU Ruff 113 277 312 337 522

JS Jack Snipe 0 1 3 51 87

SN Snipe 164 856 1,964 4,917 6,029

LD Long-billed Dowitcher 0 0 0 0 0

WK Woodcock 2 2 0 6 29

BW Black-tailed Godwit 8,302 19,929 27,477 32,799 29,351

BA Bar-tailed Godwit 5,831 27,453 35,005 40,001 29,332

WM Whimbrel 662 1,048 282 40 14

CU Curlew 35,759 58,898 67,810 83,396 63,134

CS Common Sandpiper 1,190 1,032 360 102 66

PQ Spotted Sandpiper 0 0 1 0 0

GE Green Sandpiper 436 768 328 258 176

DR Spotted Redshank 94 243 147 157 59

GK Greenshank 543 1,443 1,470 1,082 467

LY Lesser Yellowlegs 0 0 0 1 0

OD Wood Sandpiper 8 34 7 1 0

RK Redshank 19,141 49,797 74,616 88,627 80,147

TT Turnstone 673 5,436 7,961 11,157 10,714

WF Wilson's Phalarope 0 0 1 1 0

NK Red-necked Phalarope 0 0 1 0 0

PL Grey Phalarope 0 0 6 1 8

TOTAL WADERS 211,607 632,733 869,505 1,167,722 1,315,214

17

Table 3. continued


sites 1,525 1,965 1,959 1,804 1,151 986 973

AK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

CE 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

MH 9,226 9,112 8,578 8,624 4,446 3,206 3,358

CO 94,714 98,248 75,578 51,782 20,785 18,313 26,636

AN 2 2 2 3 1 0 0

KF 176 130 123 125 64 61 88

1,325,880 1,450,623 1,071,049 800,093 281,283 155,155 208,842


sites 1,525 1,965 1,959 1,804 1,151 986 973 OC 161,517 213,280 194,863 124,715 54,564 34,803 31,749 AV 4,567 6,849 6,382 4,091 2,723 2,043 1688 TN 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 KP 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 LP 0 0 0 13 414 346 349 RP 3,890 4,341 4,474 2,563 5,472 15,997 1,979 ID 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 GP 8,675 52,113 43,575 25,544 1,996 35 24 GV 21,572 34,741 26,327 29,594 18,633 11,248 1,747 L. 59,713 268,020 222,106 27,750 6,337 4,292 6,662 KN 105,882 239,445 228,069 154,579 80,938 12,098 4,898 SS 6,162 7,361 6,885 8,332 7,201 6,163 1,878 LX 1 2 0 2 1 3 4 TK 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 BQ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 BP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PP 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 CV 0 0 1 0 0 7 0 PS 736 1,353 1,505 1,516 240 56 2 DN 215,053 309,306 248,297 110,426 41,306 78,879 2,646 RU 134 248 340 350 144 23 7 JS 28 39 34 33 0 0 0 SN 3,173 2,426 2,737 3,106 341 75 59 LD 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 WK 207 72 43 18 0 1 1 BW 20,366 24,079 21,369 17,130 16,518 2,455 1,999 BA 19,305 57,657 61,563 21,344 5,089 4,153 1,963 WM 16 53 17 8 553 985 100 CU 36,923 73,852 74,608 58,561 18,740 4,517 6,122 CS 28 23 25 32 250 280 267 PQ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 GE 58 93 81 84 101 8 41 DR 33 55 36 38 61 3 12 GK 249 288 262 258 159 71 50 LY 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 OD 0 0 0 0 3 14 1 RK 40,888 58,819 62,737 50,661 19,913 2,732 2,312 TT 6,849 10,945 9,301 8,982 4,448 1,100 512 WF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 716,025 1,365,461 1,215,637 649,731 286,149 182,398 67,074

18

Table 3. continued

Species Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Number of sites visited 824 869 1,329 1,515 1,533

KI Kittiwake 367 368 682 191 92

ON Bonaparte's Gull 0 0 0 0 0

BH Black-headed Gull 87,857 119,690 168,223 174,517 173,601

LU Little Gull 3 27 5 14 3

FG Franklin’s Gull 1 0 0 0 0

MU Mediterranean Gull 386 844 1,565 827 353

CM Common Gull 4,712 13,388 20,493 37,653 36,526

IN Ring-billed Gull 0 0 1 0 2

LB Lesser Black-backed Gull 34,907 15,298 17,901 20,890 17,736

HG Herring Gull 30,548 44,671 58,117 69,592 79,872

YG Yellow-legged Gull 27 36 40 43 52

YC Caspian Gull 0 1 0 1 2

IG Iceland Gull 0 1 0 1 1

GZ Glaucous Gull 0 0 1 0 3

GB Great Black-backed Gull 2,617 3,838 7,389 8,318 9,463

UU Unidentified gull 43 124 714 584 738

OU Unidentified small gull 0 0 4 0 0

VU Unidentified large gull 0 2 1 0 0 TOTAL GULLS 161,468 198,288 275,136 312,631 318,444

Species Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Number of sites visited 809 847 1,235 1,383 1,345

AF Little Tern 1,145 330 23 3 0

WD Whiskered Tern 0 1 0 0 0

BJ Black Tern 1 24 63 11 0

WJ White-winged Black Tern 0 1 0 0 0

TE Sandwich Tern 3,762 6,158 2,590 183 7

CN Common Tern 5,712 4,441 776 73 0

RS Roseate Tern 4 4 2 0 0

AE Arctic Tern 632 202 9 9 0

UI Common/Arctic Tern 196 4 2 1 0

UT Unidentified tern 1 0 0 0 0 TOTAL TERNS 11,453 11,165 3,465 280 7

19

Table 3. continued

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun sites 1,267 1,652 1,635 1,500 991 854 848

KI 49 102 33 561 565 439 538

ON 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

BH 143,771 224,169 192,414 149,174 61,399 38,744 39,653

LU 0 7 6 2 88 8 10

FG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

MU 220 340 659 697 334 159 163

CM 52,115 51,709 43,647 31,650 4,818 3,184 3,018

IN 2 4 1 2 0 0 0

LB 10,944 12,156 7,964 17,746 21,451 22,097 19,210

HG 49,872 106,832 61,065 51,234 38,466 33,155 32,235

YG 43 32 10 7 6 10 9

YC 9 1 4 4 0 0 0

IG 0 8 3 6 0 0 0

GZ 3 5 2 2 1 1 1

GB 8,336 9,127 5,084 4,934 1,921 1,716 1,877

UU 3,427 187 2,651 219 283 14 33

OU 0 0 25 0 8 0 0

VU 0 0 0 0 26 2,027 0 268,791 404,679 313,568 256,238 129,366 101,555 96,748

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun sites 1,123 1,433 1,406 1,330 923 809 821 AF 0 0 0 0 25 881 967 WD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 BJ 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 WJ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TE 1 1 2 61 1,429 3,614 6,322 CN 0 0 0 3 641 3,887 4,538 RS 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 AE 0 0 0 0 14 355 384 UI 0 0 0 0 0 2 23 UT 0 0 0 0 0 9 2 1 1 2 64 2,110 8,751 12,240

20

Table 4. Total numbers of waterbirds recorded by WeBS Core Counts in Northern Ireland in 2010/11. Census totals are indicated by ‘*’. (I-WeBS totals in the Republic of Ireland available via www.bto.org/webs).

Species Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Number of sites visited 3 2 11 14 18

MS Mute Swan 10 4 1,167 1,140 958

WS Whooper Swan 2 1 22 270 1,475

PG Pink-footed Goose 0 0 15 21 2

NW Greenland White-fronted Goose 0 0 0 0 0

JE British/Irish Greylag Goose 0 0 127 294 803

SJ Snow Goose 0 0 1 1 1

CG Canada Goose 0 0 85 147 211

YE Naturalised Barnacle Goose 0 0 0 375 375

DB Dark-bellied Brent Goose 0 0 0 0 0

QN Canadian Light-bellied Brent Goose 1 0 22,087 36,519 10,169

SU Shelduck 20 7 450 1,919 2,018

WN Wigeon 0 4 414 3,885 2,124

GA Gadwall 0 0 157 169 183

T. Teal 0 0 1,359 4,612 3,282

MA Mallard 111 160 6,642 7,972 4,437

PT Pintail 0 0 12 328 87

SV Shoveler 0 0 47 70 114

PO Pochard 0 0 414 1,202 4,746

TU Tufted Duck 0 0 1,768 2,027 5,077

SP Scaup 0 0 4 629 2,763

E. Eider 0 0 732 1,324 2,073

LN Long-tailed Duck 0 0 0 0 3

CX Common Scoter 0 0 0 2 13

VS Velvet Scoter 0 0 0 1 0

GN Goldeneye 0 0 10 67 2,581

SY Smew 0 0 0 0 1

RM Red-breasted Merganser 0 0 308 340 417

GD Goosander 0 0 0 0 0

RY Ruddy Duck 0 0 4 11 9

RH Red-throated Diver 0 0 4 13 46

ND Great Northern Diver 0 0 0 1 4

LG Little Grebe 0 0 380 544 532

GG Great Crested Grebe 0 0 1,061 1,324 821

SZ Slavonian Grebe 0 0 0 0 0

CA Cormorant 53 102 1,680 1,855 1,862

SA Shag 0 0 277 312 479

IB Glossy Ibis 0 0 0 1 0

ET Little Egret 13 21 58 63 55

H. Grey Heron 47 25 322 372 398

WA Water Rail 0 0 1 4 3

MH Moorhen 0 0 196 274 162

CO Coot 0 0 2,351 2,219 1,949

KF Kingfisher 0 0 2 0 3

TOTAL WILDFOWL 257 324 42,889 71,631 52,309

21

Table 4. continued

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun sites 16 22 20 19 4 3 2

MS 799 1,572 1,101 699 4 29 24

WS 560 2,614 2,602 1,842 0 1 0

PG 51 0 25 22 0 0 0

NW 0 68 0 35 0 0 0

JE 337 1,210 1,614 2,010 0 0 0

SJ 0 0 2 1 0 0 0

CG 132 903 524 208 0 0 0

YE 370 364 8 369 0 0 0

DB 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

QN 1,687 3,558 3,136 3,713 160 0 0

SU 2,181 3,526 2,950 2,239 83 59 45

WN 999 3,527 3,190 1,920 0 0 2

GA 98 105 141 173 0 0 0

T. 1,745 4,707 2,475 1,925 14 0 0

MA 1,889 4,978 3,133 2,718 140 168 207

PT 190 270 449 84 0 0 0

SV 82 10 75 43 0 0 0

PO 19 5,075 4,857 1,439 0 0 0

TU 862 7,664 11,379 4,276 26 19 22

SP 1,155 1,904 1,112 2,266 0 0 0

E. 1,180 1,636 1,213 3,088 19 0 2

LN 5 2 12 15 0 0 0

CX 0 4 8 6 0 0 0

VS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

GN 195 3,405 3,829 3,184 0 0 0

SY 0 2 3 3 0 0 0

RM 128 160 303 342 2 0 0

GD 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

RY 0 3 6 3 0 0 0

RH 8 48 5 47 0 0 0

ND 0 3 1 9 0 0 0

LG 158 413 158 139 12 10 18

GG 460 462 444 874 4 0 0

SZ 1 1 0 11 0 0 0

CA 178 1,172 1,189 1,034 40 41 6

SA 29 448 69 142 0 0 0

IB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

ET 0 16 12 20 1 0 0

H. 47 281 152 111 5 7 6

WA 2 0 3 0 0 0 0

MH 163 167 97 161 2 5 4

CO 2,184 3,182 2,410 997 5 10 14

KF 0 3 0 1 0 0 0

19,074 55,100 49,905 39,259 536 349 352

22

Table 4. continued


OC Oystercatcher 535 1,593 10,984 12,809 12,362

RP Ringed Plover 10 8 149 252 369

GP Golden Plover 0 0 166 3,829 4,600

GV Grey Plover 0 0 7 34 54

L. Lapwing 51 101 940 3,253 6,858

KN Knot 5 7 16 983 713

SS Sanderling 0 0 207 538 198

LX Little Stint 0 0 6 1 0

PS Purple Sandpiper 0 0 0 7 41

DN Dunlin 85 39 1,100 1,691 4,001

BQ Buff-breasted Sandpiper 0 0 2 0 0

RU Ruff 0 2 0 0 0

JS Jack Snipe 0 0 0 0 0

SN Snipe 0 0 11 62 152

GE Green Sandpiper 0 1 0 0 0

WK Woodcock 0 0 0 0 0

BW Black-tailed Godwit 57 50 479 1,032 570

BA Bar-tailed Godwit 0 0 1,017 1,647 638

WM Whimbrel 7 1 0 0 1

CU Curlew 342 387 4,017 3,667 3,195

CS Common Sandpiper 8 2 0 0 0

GK Greenshank 32 30 87 119 99

RK Redshank 814 691 3,455 5,720 6,191

TT Turnstone 14 1 370 995 1,628

TOTAL WADERS 1,960 2,913 23,013 36,639 41,670


KI Kittiwake 0 0 0 16 1

BH Black-headed Gull 380 566 6,027 7,040 5,753

MU Mediterranean Gull 0 0 1 0 0

CM Common Gull 597 245 2,633 1,730 1,278

LB Lesser Black-backed Gull 15 14 1,143 800 304

HG Herring Gull 73 155 1,453 1,141 1,667

IG Iceland Gull 0 0 0 0 0

GB Great Black-backed Gull 112 166 258 260 245

TOTAL GULLS 1,177 1,146 11,515 10,987 9,248


BJ Black Tern 0 0 4 0 0

TE Sandwich Tern 78 66 26 36 3

CN Common Tern 4 5 0 0 0

AE Arctic Tern 2 0 0 0 0

TOTAL TERNS 84 71 30 36 3

23

Table 4. continued


OC 6,877 14,130 9,236 7,235 151 295 46

RP 33 418 164 193 50 39 6

GP 10 3,797 2,569 4,490 644 0 0

GV 9 83 63 22 2 0 0

L. 3,448 11,902 7,235 532 0 0 0

KN 17 879 1,898 598 0 0 0

SS 60 213 322 1 15 42 0

LX 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

PS 3 93 13 51 0 0 0

DN 2,766 5,848 4,315 2,557 70 100 10

BQ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

RU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

JS 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

SN 173 83 15 3 0 0 0

GE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

WK 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

BW 162 811 916 1,771 180 10 0

BA 304 2,124 1,206 1,684 158 0 0

WM 0 0 1 1 0 0 2

CU 1,500 5,272 4,398 3,392 64 7 20

CS 0 0 0 0 2 0 0

GK 17 60 60 89 0 0 0

RK 2,205 4,643 3,793 3,823 132 0 0

TT 264 1,337 632 1,385 24 0 0

17,848 51,695 36,836 27,827 1,492 493 84


KI 0 0 0 4 0 0 0

BH 1,579 8,117 8,873 9,292 250 46 46

MU 0 0 3 1 0 0 0

CM 413 2,694 2,842 2,500 102 142 12

LB 22 189 150 488 9 11 11

HG 147 1,982 1,353 2,378 98 92 23

IG 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

GB 34 300 259 369 41 51 18

2,195 13,282 13,480 15,033 500 342 110


BJ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

TE 0 5 0 0 67 27 20

CN 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

AE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 5 0 0 67 28 20

24

SPECIES ACCOUNTS

Key to symbols commonly used in the species accounts.

In headers and footnotes: Subspecies/Population in brackets with international 1% threshold (Appendix 1).

? population size not accurately known + population too small for meaningful

threshold * where 1% of the national population is < 50

birds, 50 is normally used as a minimum threshold for national importance

** a site regularly holding > 20,000 waterbirds (excluding non-native species) qualifies as internationally important by virtue of absolute numbers

† denotes that a qualifying level different to the national threshold has been used for the purposes of presenting sites in this report

In tables of important sites: - no data available ( ) incomplete count † same meaning as used for thresholds �� site was of a lower importance status in

the previous five-year period �� site was of a higher importance status in

the previous five-year period 1,2 count obtained using different survey

methodology from WeBS Core Counts (see table below)

Sources of additional information used in compiling tables of important sites are listed below. Non-WeBS counts are shown in the tables by the number below given in superscript following the count.

1 WWT data 2 Uist Greylag Goose Management Committee 3 SNH data 4 Bean Goose Working Group 5 WWT studies 6 Supplementary daytime counts 7 Greenland White-fronted Goose Study Group 8 WWT publications 9 SOTEAG reports

10 WeBS Low Tide Counts 11 Roost counts 12 Supplementary daytime counts 13 Icelandic Goose Census 14 Firth of Clyde Eider counts (Chris Waltho) 15 R Godfrey (in litt) 16 International Swan Census (WWT) 17 All-Ireland Light-bellied Brent Goose Census 18 WWT unpublished data 19 Judith Smith, Gr. Manchester County recorder 20 SNH data 21 Paul Daw, County recorder for Argyll 23 Roost counts 24 Supplementary counts 26 B McMillan (in litt.) 28 BTO/CCW Carmarthen Bay surveys 29 WWTC/CCW Carmarthen Bay surveys 30 Supplementary data 31 Supplementary counts 32 RSPB data 33 A Stevenson (in litt.) 34 WWT UK-breeding Greylag Goose Survey 37 W Aspin (in litt.) 39 D Tate (in litt.) 43 Norman Elkins (Fife Bird Club) 46 S.J.Turner, West Midland Bird Club 47 Birdguides (www.birdguides.com) 49 Norfolk bird report; White-fronted Goose counts 50 RSPB Bean Goose counts

25

Lesser Whistling Duck Escape

Dendrocygna javanica Native Range: S & E Asia

One was at Poole Harbour in October; the third year out of the last four that this species

(and presumably that individual) has been seen there.

Mute Swan International threshold (British population): 320

Cygnus olor International threshold (Irish population): 100

Great Britain threshold: 740

GB max: 23,440 Nov All-Ireland threshold: 110

NI max: 1,572 Jan

Figure 3.a, Annual indices & trend for Mute Swan in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 3.b, Monthly indices for Mute Swan in GB (above)

& NI (below).

Mute Swans in Britain and Ireland are largely

sedentary, and hence the populations are considered separate from both one another and from birds on the Continent (Scott & Rose 1996). Consequently, all sites of national importance in Britain and All-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland are also classed as being of importance internationally.

During the last decade, the annual indices for Mute Swan in Britain have shown little in the way of variation. In 2010/11, the peak WeBS site count of Mute Swans was 951, recorded at both Loughs Neagh & Beg and Somerset Levels. At the latter site, this was the lowest count since 2003/04 and a notable contrast to the maximum recorded there just two years previously.

Elsewhere in south-west England, the peak at Fleet & Wey failed to reach the 1,000 mark for the fourth year in succession. Among the other principal sites for this species, the maximum recorded at Rutland Water was the highest ever and that at Abberton Reservoir was the most for 11 years.

In Northern Ireland, the December peak at Upper Lough Erne proved to be a site record, contributing to a small rise in the national index. The peak at Strangford Lough, the most important site in Northern Ireland for the species in terms of absolute numbers, was the highest there for three years.

Annual Index

Trend

2010/11 Previous five-year mean

Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

26

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Somerset Levels 1,164 1,098 1,252 1,174 951 Nov 1,128 Fleet and Wey 1,013 867 990 897 922 Oct 938 Loughs Neagh and Beg 770 1,012 702 898 951 Sep 867 Ouse Washes 508 6 1,151 (1,010) 625 6 437 Mar 746 Rutland Water 588 499 562 555 637 Aug 568 Stour Estuary 347 544 512 632 575 Sep 522 Loch Leven 542 520 544 434 (428) Oct 510 Tweed Estuary 583 364 410 632 456 Aug 502 Loch Bee (South Uist) 401 399 605 481 Oct 472 Upper Lough Erne 457 354 351 396 650 Dec 442 Dungeness and Rye Bay 410 476 489 417 358 Jul 430 Severn Estuary 421 477 383 381 334 Dec 399 Abberton Reservoir (399) 311 348 326 428 Aug 362 Lower Lough Erne 266 311 (149) (133) (245) Jan 289 Strangford Lough (59) 252 111 221 186 Nov 193 Upper Quoile River 121 144 133 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/11 Humber Estuary 350 266 377 453 115 Nov 312 ��

Hornsea Mere 375 290 155 318 6 196 Jun 267 ��

Black Swan Escape

Cygnus atratus Native Range: Australia

Black Swans were noted at 66 WeBS sites in Britain in 2010/11, including two in Wales and three in Scotland. A monthly maximum of 46 was noted in September. This represents a drop in distribution for the third year in a row, contrasting with the pattern shown by Bird Atlas

2007-11 (D. Balmer, pers. comm.). The majority of WeBS records were of singles or pairs but maxima of six were at Abberton Reservoir (Jul) and seven at Stour Estuary (Sep). Given the proximity of these sites, it is possible that the same birds were involved.

Sites with 4 or more birds during 2010/11 Stour Estuary 7, Sep Abberton Reservoir 6, Jul Fleet and Wey 5, Jul

Ramsbury Lake 5, Nov Rochester Pools 5, Nov

Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus

International threshold

(W Siberia, N Europe): 220

Great Britain threshold: 70

All-Ireland threshold: 20*

GB max: 6,490 Feb

NI max: 0

% young: 10.8 Brood size: 1.7 *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

Figure 4.a, Annual indices & trend for Bewick's Swan in

GB. Figure 4.b, Monthly indices for Bewick's Swan in GB.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

27

Bewick’s Swans breed in the northern Russian tundra and winter primarily in Britain and The Netherlands. The most recent census of the British wintering population, coordinated by WWT as part of the International Swan Census, was undertaken during winter 2009/10, when the number present was estimated to be 7,000 birds (C. Hall, pers. comm.).

Neil Calbrade

In 2010/11, the WeBS index rose compared

to the last three years, indicative of a response to the cold winter. In the last two decades the British trend has fluctuated downwards, and over the same period declining numbers have also been noted in Ireland (Boland & Crowe 2012) and at key wintering sites in the north of

the Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2011). These international declines have led to this amber-listed species (Eaton et al. 2009) being the focus of dedicated conservation initiatives (Rees & Beekman 2010).

An increasing proportion of Bewick’s Swans that winter in the UK are now concentrated in the fenlands in eastern England. Whereas peak counts at most sites across the UK have declined in recent years, those at the two principal sites of Ouse Washes and Nene Washes have remained stable or increased. At both of these locations, the birds use wetlands for roosting and agricultural fields for diurnal foraging. In 2010/11, the peaks logged during fenland roost counts were 6,176 (Feb) at Ouse Washes and 418 (Dec) at Nene Washes. The high number present at Ouse Washes was possibly due to a shift of birds from The Netherlands in response to the coldest winter in north-west Europe for 35 years (M. Hornman, pers. comm.).

Elsewhere, the peaks reported from Severn Estuary (311, Jan), Dee Estuary (92, Jan) and Somerset Levels (63, Feb) all represented the most at those sites for several years, and were also indicative of a cold weather response. The latter site, with a historic peak of 452 swans in January 1982, was traditionally one of the most favoured sites in Britain for this species before experiencing sharp declines during the 1980s and 1990s.

Breeding success was assessed at three wintering sites in the UK during 2010/11; WWT Slimbridge, WWT Martin Mere/Ribble Estuary, and Ouse Washes. Across these three sites the proportion of young birds was 10.8%, slightly lower than the previous ten-year average and therefore an indication of relatively poor breeding success in 2010. Mean brood size was typical of recent years, at 1.7 young per pair (Newth 2011a).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Ouse Washes 3,407 11 5,341 11 3,468 11 5,109 11 6,176 11 Feb 4,700 Nene Washes 703 11 642 11 305 11 962 11 418 11 Dec 606 Severn Estuary 196 180 238 303 311 Jan 246 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Ranworth and Cockshoot Broads (116) Dec (116) ��

Dungeness and Rye Bay 130 127 83 99 (100) Dec 110 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 147 11 87 12 5 131

12 38 12 Mar 82

Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 48 82 56 55 92 Jan 67

28

Whooper Swan International threshold (Iceland population): 270

Cygnus cygnus Great Britain threshold: 110

All-Ireland threshold: 130

GB max: 9,700 Feb

NI max: 2,614 Jan

% young: 14.43

Brood size 2.1

Figure 5.a, Annual indices & trend for Whooper Swan in

GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 5.b, Monthly indices for Whooper Swan in GB

(above) & NI (below).

The number of Whooper Swans wintering in

Britain and Ireland has increased steadily over the course of the last 25 years. Almost all originate from the increasing population breeding in Iceland, and a small number of Scandinavian birds also winter in eastern England. A census, coordinated by WWT as part of the International Swan Census, was carried out during 2009/10, when the number present in the UK was estimated to be 16,502 birds (Hall et al. in press). This represented an increase of 9.6% compared to the previous estimate from a census in 2004/05.

In 2010/11, the WeBS index for sites in Britain remained at the high level of recent years. The relatively high monthly index values from September to November imply a large and early arrival took place, with numbers counted then slightly reduced during December and January through displacement of birds by the prevailing freezing conditions to uncounted sites. The maximum at the Ouse Washes roost, 7,271 in

February, represents the largest ever total there. Maxima at the other sites of international importance were largely similar to recent years, except for Loch of Strathbeg, where the count of 1,188 in November was a site record; the Core count presumably coinciding with a peak of southbound passage that occurs in northern Scotland in autumn.

Jill Pakenham

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

29

Following an increase in the international population estimate (Wetlands International 2012), Solway Estuary and East Fenton Farm Reservoir no longer surpass the threshold for international importance.

In Northern Ireland, the peak at Loughs Neagh & Beg was typical, but at Lough Foyle, where numbers usually peak in October or November, the peak was the lowest ever recorded.

Breeding success was assessed at a number of sites in Britain and Ireland in 2010/11. At the three British sites monitored on an annual basis (Ouse Washes, WWT Caerlaverock, and WWT Martin Mere/Ribble Estuary) the proportion of young birds was 14.4%. This is slightly lower than the previous five-year average and therefore an indication of relatively poor breeding success in 2010. Mean brood size was also slightly less than expected, at 2.1 young per pair (Newth 2011b).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Ouse Washes 3,756

11 3,960 11 5,979

11 5,615 16 7,271 11 Feb 5,316

Martin Mere and Ribble Estuary 1,451 1,819 1,703 2,296 2,052 Jan 1,864 Loughs Neagh and Beg 1,731 1,734 (1,592) 1,192 1,669 Mar 1,584 Lough Foyle 1,042 1,167 1,240 2,033 506 Feb 1,198 Upper Lough Erne 956 680 636 643 793 Jan 742 Loch of Strathbeg 285 92 252 182 1,188 Nov 400 Loch Eye 55 399

13 797 13 4 448 Oct 341

Nene Washes 216 11 110 11 462 11 450 11 Nov 310 Loch Leven 220 242 350

12 357 224 Nov 279 Strangford Lough 199 432 251 10 183 319 Jan 277 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Solway Estuary (194) (97) (231) 298 215 Mar 257 ��

East Fenton Farm Reservoir 143 340

12 182 240 150 Dec 211 ��

Solway Firth - Newton and Border Marsh 200

13 200 River Earn, Forteviot - Kinkell (5) 198 Nov 198 ��

Norham West Mains 196 196 Loch Heilen (197) 84 (59) 300 (25) Jan 194 ��

Lower Teviot Valley 36 98 (129) 433

12 189 Wigtown Bay (164) 267 (195) 177 101 Mar 185 ��

R Clyde: Carstairs to Thankerton 188 173 109 (86) 268 Nov 185 Cromarty Firth 6 19

13 (67) (331) 335

13 Nov 173 ��

Dornoch Firth 241 (86) 190 37 222 Oct 173 Wedholme Flow 0 0 19 557 11 250 Nov 165 River Tweed - Kelso to Coldstream 162 230 252 134 32 Nov 162 Montrose Basin 147 (182) 103 151 224 Mar 161 Black Cart Water (Gryfe-White Cart) 106

12 98

12 207

12 221

12 132 Nov 153 Dalreoch 216

13 67

13 142 Loch a` Phuill (Tiree) 152

12 103 94 115 184 Dec 130 Lower Derwent Ings 104 88 93 174 151 Mar 122 ��

Morecambe Bay (84) 158 82 (118) (73) Feb 120 River Eden - Grinsdale to Sandsfield 59 186 108 108 94 Mar 111 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Rossie Bog 99 (78) (162)12 67

12 Mar 109 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Vasa Loch, Shapinsay 147 85 40 62 130 Dec 93 Mersey Estuary 78 75 52 54 118 Jan 75 Loch Eaval and Loch Hosta (North Uist) 27 16 79 47 117 Nov 57 Loch Insh and Spey Marshes 96 148 97 42 112 Feb 99

Chinese Goose Escape

Anser cygnoides Native Range: E Asia

Chinese Geese (the domestic strain of Swan

Goose) were recorded at 11 WeBS sites, with a monthly maximum of ten birds in January. All records involved one or two birds.

30

Taiga Bean Goose International threshold

(NE Europe population): 420

Anser fabalis fabalis Great Britain threshold: 4

All-Ireland threshold: +

GB max: 376 Jan

NI max: 0

% young: 31.0 Brood size: 2.1

There are two regular sites for wintering

Taiga Bean Geese (Anser f. fabalis) in the UK; Slamannan Plateau in central Scotland and Yare Valley in Norfolk. Birds are highly faithful to both of these areas, where their numbers are monitored by the Bean Goose Working Group and RSPB, respectively. Unless specifically reported as being of the fabalis race, all other ‘bean geese’ are assumed to be of the race rossicus (Tundra Bean Goose); similarly, all ‘bean geese’ reported from the Slamannan and Yare Valley areas are assumed to relate to Taiga Bean Geese.

In 2010/11, a site maximum of 267 Taiga Bean Geese was recorded at Slamannan Plateau in October. This is comparable to recent years and slighty higher than the mean for the

previous decade. At Yare Valley however, the peak of 137 in January represented a significant increase compared to the previous year, and may have been associated with a cold weather movement. Further evidence for this is provided by the fact that having arrived relatively late in the winter (in November), the majority had migrated back to the continent by mid February. Monitoring of the Slamannan Plateau population by the Bean Goose Working Group indicated that approximately 31% of the population were first-year birds in 2010/11, an improvement on the previous year (Reed 2011a).

Away from these two key areas, single Taiga Bean Geese were identified at two other sites during Core counts; Humber Estuary (Jan) and Waughton (Feb).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Slamannan Area 255 4 300 4 265 4 260 4 267 4 Oct 269 Middle Yare Marshes 111

50 136 50 133

50 81 50 137

50 Jan 120

Tundra Bean Goose International threshold

(W & C Siberia population): 5,500

Anser fabalis rossicus Great Britain threshold: 3


GB max: 45 Jan

NI max: 0

Unless submitted otherwise, records of ‘bean

geese’ away from the two key wintering areas of Taiga Bean Goose (Anser f. fabalis) are assumed to relate to Tundra Bean Goose (Anser f.

rossicus). Since 2008/09, the two sub-species have been listed separately in the annual WeBS report. Small, but regular, numbers of Tundra Bean Geese are noted during the course of most winters in the UK, primarily at sites in the east. Most records tend to relate to birds in flocks of other geese. However, during periods of cold

weather on the continent influxes of discrete, larger, groups can occur.

Considering that weather-related influxes were noted in The Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2012) and Switzerland (Keller & Műller 2012), a larger arrival of Tundra Bean Geese into the UK might have been expected during the midwinter period of 2010/11. The majority seen during WeBS Core counts were singles, but several small flocks were noted including 12 at North Warren & Thorpeness Mere (Jan-Feb).

Sites with 3 or more birds in 2009/10 Breydon Water & Berney Marshes 17, Jan North Warren & Thorpeness Mere 12, Jan Humber Estuary 8, Nov Abberton Reservoir 6, Jan

Lower Derwent Ings 4, Dec Alde Complex 4, Jan Swale Estuary 3, Feb Achlochan 3, Jan

31

Pink-footed Goose International threshold (Greenland/Iceland population): 3,500

Anser brachyrhynchus Great Britain threshold: 3,600


GB max: 288,798 Oct

NI max: 51 Dec

% young: 10.8

19.9 Brood size: 2.3

The annual census of Pink-footed Geese is carried out through the Goose & Swan Monitoring Programme, coordinated by WWT. Late 2010 saw counts undertaken in October, November and December, representing the 51st consecutive Icelandic-breeding Goose Census (Mitchell 2011a).

Figure 6.a, Annual indices & trend for Pink-footed Goose

in GB.

Despite some recent fluctuations in

numbers, partly due to variation in coverage, the long-term trend for the species has been one of steady increase. During 2010/11, the population using sites in Britain (including estimates for non-counted sites) was considered to be 297,798 birds, an marked decrease compared to the high of over 360,000 estimated the previous year. Birds were relatively early to arrive in autumn 2010. In September, 32,882 were recorded at Loch of Strathbeg, while by October, a site record peak ofover 65,000 had gathered at Montrose Basin.

Although it is possible that large numbers of Pink-footed Geese may have been in inaccessible and uncounted areas of Iceland during October, there was no marked increase in the overall census totals between October and November. This suggests that the decrease noted between years was real, at least to some extent, and not merely attributable to a late departure from Iceland (Mitchell 2011a).

Typically, Pink-footed Geese shift locations within the UK during the course of the winter. However, the severe weather in December 2010 clearly affected the expected distribution at the start of the midwinter period. For example, the Solway Firth experienced a huge influx of nearly 50,000 geese, as birds escaped the frozen waterbodies and extensive snow cover to the north. Further south, the peak counts in Norfolk where several sites have become increasingly important for this species in recent decades, included 30,000 at Holkham Marshes and 37,350 at Snettisham.

Tommy Holden

The combination of consistent annual

breeding success, targeted nature reserve management, and changes in availability of agricultural foraging resources (Fox et al. 2005, Gill et al. 2006) have contributed to the rise of the wintering Pink-footed Goose population in Britain since the mid 1980s. However, with the midwinter periods of 2009/10 and 2010/11 having been particularly harsh (notably so in Scotland), with prolonged snow cover and freezing temperatures, over-winter mortality is likely to have risen in the last two years. We will have to wait to determine the extent to which the overall population size may have been affected by these recent winters.

It is interesting to recall that a recent population model developed using counts and demographic data for Pink-footed Goose (Trinder et al. 2005), predicted that the population would reach equilibrium at

Annual Index

Trend

32

approximately 220,000 birds. The same work indicated that there is only a very small chance that numbers would fall below 50,000 by the year 2030.

Breeding success was assessed at several locations throughout Scotland and England. The

proportion of young within flocks was 19.9% and the mean brood size for pairs with young was 2.3, both figures higher than the previous year and the mean of the preceding decade (Mitchell 2011a).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Southwest Lancashire 39,030

13 17,877 90,455 13 69,790

13 17,160

13 Nov 46,862 Loch of Strathbeg 37,396 39,370 13 53,454

13 60,626 13 35,000

13 Mar 45,169 Snettisham 33,485 13 47,530 13 51,950

13 28,700 13 37,350

13 Jan 39,803 Holkham Marshes 60,000 13 46,400 13 19,510

13 19,630 13 30,000

13 Jan 35,108 West Water Reservoir (56,900) 27,960 13 47,361

13 26,400 13 16,650

13 Oct 35,054 Montrose Basin 25,000 13 23,945 13 38,911

13 6,500 65,060

13 Oct 31,883 Aberlady Bay 23,415 13 32,244

13 15,721 13 20,622

13 Sep 23,001 Loch of Skene (22,930)13 19,000 13 18,560

13 16,780 13 27,500

13 Nov 20,954 Solway Estuary 23,313 13 5,004 5,751 6,633 50,000 13 Dec 18,140 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 17,800 11 22,785 12 21,400 11 14,230 11 12,250

11 Jan 17,693 West Freugh (16,000)12 (22) Feb (16,000) Carsebreck and Rhynd Lochs 12,600 13 11,200 13 15,200

13 18,250 13 16,550

13 Oct 14,760 Scolt Head 17,200 13 7,870 13 23,000

13 10,750 13 14,705 Findhorn Bay (3,800)13 7,800 13 9,850

13 14,500 13 6,300 13 Oct 9,613 Brow Well 120

13 124 13 26,570 13 Dec 8,938 ��

Loch Leven 14,600 13 1,000 17,618 13 4,539 5,168 13 Oct 8,585

Martham Broad 8,500 13 8,500

Beauly Firth 12,800 13 3,370 13 Oct 8,085 Wigtown Bay (6,695) 11,720

13 (4,943) 5,941 6,120 Jan 7,927 Kilconquhar Loch 90 7,010

13 14,000

13 9,540 13 6,730 13 Dec 7,474

Morecambe Bay (7,145) 3,376 (7,255) (2,757) 10,689 Oct 7,116 Loch of Lintrathen 7,040 13 8,410 13 10,745 13 3,550 13 5,380 13 Nov 7,025 Priestside 7,000 13 Dec 7,000 ��

Winter Loch, St Fergus Gas Terminal 6,620 13 6,620 Hule Moss 2,250 13 6,850 13 6,250 13 9,350 13 7,550 13 Nov 6,450 Ythan Estuary and Slains Lochs 1,600 2,000 10,000 10,970 Oct 6,143 Dupplin Lochs 1,450 13 2,100 13 18,500 13 870 13 Nov 5,730 Middlemuir (New Pitsligo Moss) 4,500 13 3,500 13 9,000 13 Oct 5,667 Holme and Thornham 4,000 13 4,170 13 8,000 13 5,390 Simonswood Peat Moss 3,000 13 4,500 13 8,500 13 Nov 5,333 Horsey Mere 5,430 13 5,125 13 Dec 5,278 Fala Flow 2,170 13 3,650 13 1,510 13 13,084 13 5,604 13 Oct 5,204 Holme 3,865 13 6,500 13 Dec 5,183 Eden Estuary 9 430 13 20,520 11 650 13 3,400 13 Nov 5,002 Lochhill 760 5,000 12 7,100 12 7,000 12 4,965 Wedholme Flow 0 1,300 6,000 12 10,000 7,000 Mar 4,860 Humber Estuary 4,151 3,703 7,108 3,944 4,180 Nov 4,617 Lindisfarne (6,132) 6,900 13 3,500 13 3,500 13 2,630 13 Oct 4,532 Biggar Moss 0 6,500 7,000 4,500 Norton Marsh 6,650 13 4,850 13 2,720 13 2,831 13 4,263 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 River Tay - Haughs of Kercock 3,702 13 3,165 13 2,704 13 2,500 13 1,308 13 Nov 2,676 Loch Spynie 9,000 13 150 13 1,000 13 3 13 2,538 Forth (Skinflats) 2,950 13 2,176 13 4,463 13 775 13 365 13 Nov 2,146 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Munlochy Bay 2,600 13 2,500 13 750 13 3,500 13 5,000 13 Oct 2,870 Ythan Estuary 5,700 2,300 750 (2,110) 4,200 Jan 3,238 Loch Connell 4,500 12 3 (3,000) 4,000 Mar 2,876 Loch Tullybelton 2,700 13 2,800 13 4,000 13 150 13 3,800 13 Nov 2,690

33

European White-fronted Goose International threshold

(NW Siberia/ NE Europe population): 12,000

Anser albifrons albifrons Great Britain threshold: 24


GB max: 3,087 Jan

NI max: 0


Figure 7.a, Annual indices & trend for European White-

fronted Goose in GB. Figure 7.b, Monthly indices for European White-fronted

Goose in GB.

Much has been written in past WeBS reports

about how the steady decline in numbers of wintering European White-fronted Geese in Britain is at least partly attributable to short stopping, in response to milder winter conditions further east in northwestern Europe. This distributional shift in core wintering range has resulted in an associated increase in wintering numbers in The Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2011). In view of this trend, cold weather events might be anticipated to result in an opposing response, and 2010/11 was no exception. A marked influx was noted across eastern England during the frozen conditions that affected much of north-west Europe, yielding a British monthly maximum of 3,087 birds in January 2011.

Although the maximum reported from Severn Estuary (650, Jan) was higher than the recent five-year average, this total was surpassed at two sites in eastern England. The peak aggregations at Alde Compex (779, Jan) and North Warren & Thorpeness Mere (483, Jan) both represent record WeBS counts for those sites, and the count of 758 at Swale Estuary in February is the most there since 1998/99. Historically, the Swale Estuary was used by larger numbers of European White-fronted Geese, exemplified by the regular presence of

1,000+ wintering birds during the 1980s and early 1990s that included a site maximum of 2,550 geese in February 1987. However, as with other formerly important sites, numbers there decreased as short-stopping became more prevalent.

Records were widely distributed across a variety of sites in England during winter 2010/11 (54 in total, compared to an average of 24 sites in the previous five years). As can be seen from the table below, a number of noteworthy flocks were recorded away from traditionally favoured sites during the very cold December to January period. These included groups of 30+ on the south coast of England where the species rarely occurs nowadays.

European White-fronted Geese were aged at two sites (WWT Slimbridge and North Warren, Suffolk) during the winter. Overall, 25.9% were first-winter birds, a similar figure to the previous year and indicative of a reasonably productive breeding season compared to the longer-term average. Brood size data were also collected at Slimbridge, and ranged from one to five goslings with an average of 2.3 young per successful pair (Reed 2011b). Notably, in Denmark, brood size in October 2010 was estimated to be somewhat greater, at 3.64 young per successful pair (P. Clausen, pers. comm.).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

34

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Severn Estuary 542 5 527 5 503 5 676 5 650 5 Jan 580 Swale Estuary 355 315 160 523 758 Feb 422 Heigham Holmes 570 49 800 49 200 49 150 49 230 49 Dec 390 North Warren and Thorpeness Mere 180 452 6 245 293 483 Jan 331 Alde Complex 0 (58) 206 (7) 779 Jan 328 Dungeness and Rye Bay 151 194 239 388 (0) 243 North Norfolk Coast 200 275 226 96 257 Dec 211 Middle Yare Marshes 66 193 72 90 202 Jan 125 Pegwell Bay 0 118 0 120 6 81 6 Dec 64 Lower Derwent Ings 0 1 0 136 120 Dec 51 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 0 61 6 0 28 6 155 6 Dec 49 Arun Valley 4 1 (0) (0) (102) Jan 36 ��

Buckden and Stirtloe Pits 35 6 35 Thames Estuary 0 24 17 28 90 Jan 32 Minsmere 0 0 0 0 139 Jan 28 ��

Hamford Water 1 0 1 0 135 Dec 27 ��

Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Stodmarsh 0 32 0 0 68 Dec 20 Ouse Washes 7 0 41 6 0 23 6 Jan 14 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Stodmarsh 0 32 0 0 68 Dec 20 Crouch-Roach Estuary 0 1 0 0 58 Dec 12 Humber Estuary 0 0 0 3 56 Feb 12 Cuckmere Estuary 0 0 0 0 35 Jan 7 Dingle Marshes and Walberswick NNR 0 0 0 0 35 Jan 7 North West Solent 1 0 0 0 34 Jan 7 Otmoor (0) (5) 0 14 6 29 Jan 14 Cotswold Water Park (East) 0 0 0 0 28 Feb 6 The Wash 2 0 0 0 25 Dec 5

Greenland White-fronted Goose International threshold

(Greenland population): 240

Anser albifrons flavirostris Great Britain threshold: 130


GB max: 13,269 Dec

NI max: 68 Jan


Figure 8.a, Annual indices & trend for Greenland White-

fronted Goose in GB.

Greenland White-fronted Geese breed in the

low arctic coastal fringe of west Greenland, and migrate southwards through south and west Iceland during September and October. The species then winters exclusively in Britain and

Ireland, favoured locations being Islay on the west coast of Scotland and Wexford Slobs in Ireland.

2010/11 represented a year of stability for the UK’s internationally important population of wintering Greenland White-fronted Geese, which as well as being Red-listed in the UK (Eaton et al. 2009) also qualifies as ‘Endangered’ under IUCN criteria (Birdlife International 2012). The two years since the low point in 2008/09 have seen a slight improvement in the national index and it would appear that the steep decline which characterised the period of 1998/99 to 2006/07 has come to an end. A ban on hunting in Iceland has probably helped to enable numbers to stabilise in recent years. Previously, hunting pressure had represented an unsustainable source of mortality in combination with a long period of low productivity – considered responsible for the decline noted since mid 1990s (Fox et al. 2012).

Annual Index

Trend

35

The annual census organised by the Greenland White-fronted Goose Study Group, was carried out in December 2010 and March 2011. The peak of 13,269 geese in December represents an increase of 6.1% compared to the maximum recorded in 2009/10. Typically, over half of the Scottish population was on Islay, while the peak count from the most southerly wintering site in Britain, the Dyfi Estuary, was slightly lower than recent years.

The percentage of young on Islay (22.9%) was the highest for 25 years and the fourth highest since records began in 1962. Mean brood size of 3.05 also implies a successful breeding season. The spring of 2010 was exceptionally mild and snow-free in west Greenland, so geese arrived to good feeding conditions. Warm temperatures persisted through the summer and probably also contributed to high productivity (Fox et al. 2012).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Island of Islay 7,902 5 7,980 5 8,590 5 7,262 5 8,027 5 Jan 7,952 Machrihanish 1,716 5 1,285

11 1,477 5 2,180 5 1,866 5 Mar 1,705 Rhunahaorine 940 5 1,451 5 879 5 1,017 5 961 5 Dec 1,050 Tiree 974 5 803 5 979 5 787 5 898 5 Nov 888 Isle of Coll 687 5 445 5 336 5 284 5 301 5 Nov 411 West Freugh/Stranraer Lochs 360 5 247 5 273 5 350

10 470 5 Jan 340 Sound of Gigha 105 5 194 5 330 337 5 679 Mar 329 ��

Isle of Lismore 273 5 240 5 280 5 300 5 245 5 Mar 268 Keills Peninsula and Isle of Danna 300 5 202 5 239 5 214 5 259 5 Nov 243 ��

Sites of national importance in Great Britain Bute 209 5 240 5 210 5 215 5 230 5 Nov 221 Loch Lomond 210 5 223 11 220 5 200 5 210

11 Nov 213 Clachan and Whitehouse 186 5 120 5 170 5 182 5 359 5 Jan 203 Loch Ken 206 5 177 5 194 5 186 5 203 5 Feb 193 Westfield Marshes 155 5 173 5 176 5 180 5 Nov 171 Loch of Mey 176 5 146 5 240 5 170 5 118 5 Mar 170 South Uist: Loch Bee/Kilaulay 160 5 184 5 150 5 123 5 100 5 Nov 143 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Loch Gorm 14 145 Nov 80 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Loch Gorm 14 145 Nov 80

Lesser White-fronted Goose Vagrant and escape

Anser erythropus Native Range: SE Europe, Asia

Presumed escapes were seen at four sites in

2010/11, including a long-stayer throughout much of the year at Llyn Traffwll and two at Saltfleet (Oct-Nov).

Greylag Goose (Icelandic) International threshold (Iceland population): 980

Anser anser Great Britain threshold: 850


GB max: 104,450 Nov

NI max: 0** **small numbers remain difficult to distinguish from resident birds

% young: 10.8

22.4 Brood size: 2.1 1.7

Figure 9.a, Annual indices & trend for Icelandic Greylag

Goose in GB.

Annual Index

Trend

36

Counts of Icelandic Greylag Goose were undertaken in late 2010 as part of the 51st consecutive Icelandic-breeding Goose Census (IGC), coordinated by WWT. This census incorporates monitoring of sites in Britain, Ireland, the Faeroes, Norway and Iceland.

Howard Lacey

Following adjustments for the presence of

birds from other populations and the addition of estimated counts, a total population estimate of 110,662 geese was derived from the higher November total (Mitchell et al. 2011). This includes 16,000 in Iceland and small numbers elsewhere, but represents an overall increase of 1.1% compared to the previous year. Trinder et

al. (2010) analysed IGC data from the last 15

years, the time in which the majority of Iceland Greylag Geese began wintering on Orkney. This shift in winter distribution has probably meant that fewer Greylag Geese are being shot in Britain, as there are fewer wildfowlers on Orkney than other parts of Scotland. Despite a large annual harvest in Iceland, a presumed reduction in the number shot in other parts of the winter range combined with relatively high breeding success in recent years has probably been sufficient to reverse the decline noted in this population during the 1990s.

During early November, birds were aged at several localities across northern Scotland. Breeding success was similar to the recent average, with flocks containing 22.4% young and a mean brood size of 2.1 young per successful pair (Mitchell 2011a).

It should be stated that there is an increasing number of British Greylag Geese present in Scotland, with Mitchell et al. (2011) estimating there to be c. 47,400 British Greylag Geese in Scotland in the summers of 2008 and 2009. With large concentrations in Orkney (c. 10,000) and Shetland (c. 5,000), where Iceland Greylag Geese are known to winter, separating the two populations for monitoring continues to be a challenge.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Orkney 55,521 13 67,540 13 68,349 13 69,519 13 80,744 13 Dec 68,334 Loch Leven 620 700 1,195 13 18,573 13 (1,364) Jul 5,272 Bute 1,670 13 1,960 13 3,800 13 2,550 13 8,010 13 Dec 3,598 Dornoch Firth 2,858 3,310 13 6,379 1,825 3,596 13 Nov 3,594 Strathearn (West) 3,170 13 1,400 13 2,285 Cromarty Firth 832 13 5,268 13 992 2,501 13 914 13 Nov 2,101 Loch Fleet Complex 1,762 2,100 13 1,110 13 2,143 2,255 13 Nov 1,874 Inner Firth of Tay 157 13 636 13 2,640 13 1,943 13 1,344 West Freugh 1,000 6 1,000 Sites of national importance in the UK Gadloch 1,100 13 600 1,990 785 401 Oct 975 Forth Estuary (471) 875 936 13 (783) 1,101 Sep 971 Island of Westray 1,030 13 735 13 883 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Mill Dam & Balfour Mains Pools 676 1,095 850 374 580 Feb 715 Loch of Skene (500)13 520 13 790 13 760 13 530 13 Nov 650 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Montrose Basin 250 13 226 161 13 275 2,519 Jan 686 Loch Ryan 1 92 0 301 6 1,484 Dec 376 Loch of Spiggie 344 13 625 443 630 940 Oct 596

37

Greylag Goose (British/Irish) Pooled ‘re-established’ and ‘NW Scotland’ populations

Anser anser Great Britain threshold: 1,400†

All-Ireland threshold: ? †

GB max: 39,448 Oct

NI max: 2,010 Mar

% young: 10.8

27.5* *NW Scotland only

Brood size: 1.7

3.2*

Figure 10.a, Annual indices & trendfor British/Irish

Greylag Goose Figure 10.b, Monthly indices for British/Irish Greylag

Goose

British/Irish Greylag Goose, listed as such in

the annual WeBS report since 2009/10, refers to a combination of the populations previously referred to as ‘re-established’ and ‘North West Scotland’ Greylag Geese. As these populations have spread towards each other in Scotland, it is no longer possible to make a clear distinction between them (Mitchell et al. 2010, 2012). Until such time that the British population of Greylag Goose is recognised internationally, sites will be here as surpassing the threshold for national importance only.

The annual index for resident Greylag Goose at WeBS sites is now showing signs of having reached stability, whereas the breeding

population in the wider countryside continues to increase (Baillie et al. 2012). During WeBS Core counts, the largest aggregations were noted during the post-breeding period when birds form moulting flocks. Following the change in the classification of resident Greylag Geese in Britain, six sites continue to surpass the revised threshold for national importance (Musgrove et

al. 2011). These include Nosterfield Gravel Pits, Lower Derwent Ings and North Norfolk Coast in England, and Tiree and the Uists in Scotland. Numbers have declined on Tiree and the Uists due to an increase in the number of birds shot under licence (Mitchell 2011b).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain† Tiree 4,005

32 3,694 32 3,370 32 2,848 32 2,639 32 Aug 3,311

Nosterfield Gravel Pits 1,898 2,819 1,953 3,885 2,024 Aug 2,516 North Uist 2,318 34 2,294 34 2,783 34 2,488 34 2,150 34 Aug 2,406 South Uist 1,719 34 1,141 34 1,971 34 2,482 34 1,661 34 Aug 1,795 Lower Derwent Ings 1,780 1,056 1,472 2,468 1,980 Dec 1,751 North Norfolk Coast 1,725 1,270 2,203 1,159 1,859 Aug 1,643

Other sites with mean peak counts of 800+ birds in Great Britain†

King`s Dyke Pits, Whittlesey 1,338 (0) (90) (46) (12) Mar 1,338 The Wash 1,337 1,159 1,200 1,291 1,362 Jun 1,270 Humber Estuary (785) (906) 945 1,401 (1,111) Nov 1,173 Point of Ayre Gravel Pit 900 1,165 1,630 1,250 56 Jul 1,000 Tophill Low Reservoirs 1,190 1,230 1,000 6 (890) 474 Oct 974 Ouse Washes 810 687 6 1,496 1,061 750 Oct 961 Dungeness and Rye Bay 773 1,409 964 740 787 Aug 935 Hay-a-Park Gravel Pits 825 1,503 606 1,007 720 Sep 932

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

38

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Livermere and Ampton Water 1,285 784 642 904 Windermere 985 767 843 1,184 586 Jun 873 Bolton-on-Swale Gravel Pits 615 1,585 716 732 630 Dec 856 Morecambe Bay (617) (585) 1,139 538 861 Nov 846 Sutton and Lound Gravel Pits 494 563 1,095 868 1,131 Aug 830 Alton Water 1,056 1,068 613 807 555 Oct 820 Sites with mean peak counts of 50+ birds in Northern Ireland† Loughs Neagh and Beg 662 1,284 (917) 1,294 726 Mar 992 Lough Foyle 974 716 750 194 1,184 Mar 764 Strangford Lough 277 5 431 513 462 520 Nov 441 Belfast Lough 196 5 134 86 87 90 Dec 119 Tullyratty Lake 213 5 109 Lower Lough Erne 140 38 (14) (30) (12) Jan 89 Clea Lakes 78 Nov 78 Upper Lough Erne 73 64 21 26 102 Jan 57 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† River Avon - Fordingbridge to Ringwood 113 150 193 167 920 Nov 309 Abberton Reservoir 103 239 212 870 801 Aug 445 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Winter 2010/2011 in Northern Ireland† Larne Lough (15) 21 11 37 (106) Dec 44

† as the British threshold (1,400) is relatively high and no All-Ireland threshold has been set, qualifying levels of 800 & 50

have been chosen to select sites in Great Britain and Northern Ireland respectively, for presentation in this report.

Bar-headed Goose Escape

Anser indicus Native Range: S Asia

Bar-headed Geese were recorded at 35 WeBS

sites in Britain, with a monthly peak of 30 birds in October. Maxima of six were present at Loch

of Lowes and Par Sands Pools & St Andrews Road, both in September.

Snow Goose Escape and possible vagrant

Anser caerulescens Native Range: N America

Reported from 19 WeBS sites, most records

of Snow Goose involved one or two birds, the notable exception being 22 at Fairburn Ings in

January. None of the records received in 2010/11 are considered to relate to birds of genuine provenance.

Ross's Goose Escape and possible vagrant

Anser rossii Native Range: N America

Single Ross’s Geese were reported from ten

sites, with a monthly peak of five birds in October. The only possibly wild bird was one at North Norfolk Coast in midwinter.

Emperor Goose Escape

Anser canagicus Native Range: Alaska, NE Siberia

The resident flock was present at South

Walney Island (Morecambe Bay) throughout 2010/11, peaking at 14 in August. Elsewhere, one was at Walthamstow Reservoirs in October.

39

Canada Goose Naturalised introduction†

Branta canadensis Native Range: N America

GB max: 65,548 Oct

NI max: 903 Jan

Figure 11.a, Annual indices & trend for Canada Goose in

GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 11.b, Monthly indices for Canada Goose in GB


The Canada Goose is the most abundant non-

native waterbird species in the UK, and has a population estimated to be 190,000 (Musgrove et al. 2011). After a steep increase in abundance during the 1980s and 1990s, the last decade has witnessed a much slower rate of growth in the overall British trend based on counts at WeBS sites. Pertinently however, population increases appear to be continuing towards the edge of the range, exemplified by a marked rise in the number at sites in Scotland and notable annual maxima in northwest England. Furthermore, the

adjacent population in The Netherlands is also increasing at a fast rate (Hornman et al. 2012).

In 2010/11, maxima at most of the prinicipal sites listed below were close to or slightly above average. The highest count was 4,078 at Mersey Estuary in July; following the all-time WeBS high recorded there in the previous month (Holt et al. 2011). Peaks of 1,000+ were received from a further 13 sites, including for the first time during WeBS counts at Lee Valley Gravel Pits (Jul) and Atcham Bridge to Wroxeter (Jan).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 700+ birds in Great Britain Mersey Estuary 2,160 2,706 3,500 4,519 4,078 Jul 3,393 Dyfi Estuary 2,420 2,799 3,319 2,478 2,966 Nov 2,796 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 1,810 2,536 3,204 10 (2,303) 2,688 Oct 2,560 Ribble Estuary (1,245) (1,494) 1,625 1,828 2,207 Jan 1,887 Colliford Reservoir 2,439 1,637 632 1,409 897 Jun 1,403 Lee Valley Gravel Pits (488) (516) 1,200 (549) (1,108) Jul 1,200 Arun Valley 1,076 570 (939) (1,535) 1,390 Oct 1,143 Medway Estuary 824 1,413 (1,123) 1,103 (398) Feb 1,116 Rutland Water 1,118 1,009 1,063 1,084 1,083 Sep 1,071 Lower Derwent Ings 688 573 703 1,697 1,005 Oct 933 Bewl Water 548 1,039 (669) 1,072

12 (1,011) Dec 918

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

40

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Ouse Washes 575 558 1,463

12 823 12 1,158 Nov 915

Alde Complex 684 1,131 1,248 851 566 Dec 896 Harewood Lake 1,080 630 999 851 Oct 890 R. Severn: Atcham Bridge to Wroxeter 600 650 1,200 800 1,100 Jan 870 Abberton Reservoir (213) 1,036 480 355 1,502 Aug 843 Doxey Marshes SSSI 802 726 987 884 650 Sep 810 Taw-Torridge Estuary 986 (565) 647 944 540 Jan 779 Windermere 747

12 796 967 878 12 495 Aug 777

Osberton 1,212 790 850 542 481 Sep 775 Pitsford Reservoir 832 587 877 807 743 Sep 769 Fal Complex 655 1,035 442 490 1,015 Sep 727 The Wash 677 559 644 792 938 Nov 722 Sites with mean peak counts of 50+ birds in Northern Ireland Upper Lough Erne 665 390 301 202 486 Jan 409 Lower Lough Erne 365 286 (71) (78) 41 Oct 231 Strangford Lough 247 161 166 230 10 (242) Jan 209 Lough McNean Lower 44 148 27 60 140 Jan 84 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Teifi Estuary 454 195 500 600 1,000 Sep 550 Tamar Complex 309 276 257 432 955 Sep 446 Loch of Lowes 14 85 42 47 951 Sep 228 Drakelow Gravel Pit 78

12 232 199 310 906 Sep 345 Camel Estuary 129 197 817 641 888 Aug 534 Sandbach Flashes 191 235 364 450 850 Oct 418 Nosterfield Gravel Pits 726 340 378 686 810 Dec 588 Batemill Sand Quarry 265 160 147 308 754 Aug 327 Roadford Reservoir 552 593 594 432 750 Jan 584 Somerset Levels 367 700 547 508 746 Jan 574 R. Severn and R. Vyrnwy Confluence 72 (168) 255 (130) 745 Oct 357 Netherfield Gravel Pits 17 56 57 88 743 Oct 192 Brading Harbour 408 310 219 426 735 Jan 420 Tees Estuary 504 447 443 761 730 Nov 577 Thames Estuary 494 353 405 582 708 Sep 508

† as no British or All-Ireland thresholds have been set qualifying levels of 700 and 50 have been chosen to select sites, in

Great Britain and Northern Ireland respectively, for presentation in this report

Lesser Canada Goose Vagrant and escape

Branta hutchinsii Native Range: N America

Records were received from four WeBS sites,

none likely to have related to birds of wild origin.

Hawaiian Goose Escape

Branta sandvicensis Native Range: Hawaii

One was at Rochester Pools (Mar to May).

Greenland Barnacle Goose International threshold (Greenland population): 710

Branta leucopsis Great Britain threshold: 580


GB max: 44,844 Dec

NI max: 0

% young: 10.8


Wintering exclusively at sites in northwest Scotland and Ireland, ringing studies have shown Greenland Barnacle Geese to be faithful to specific wintering sites, with 70% of birds returning to the same site between winters.

In 2010/11, counts were carried out at most of the important areas in Scotland, which in spring 2008 (the last complete census) had held 92.5% of the total number of Greenland Barnacle Geese in Scotland. Two comprehensive

41

counts of Islay are organised by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) each winter; those in 2010/11 were 44,844 birds in December 2010 and 35,661 in March 2011. The adopted island estimate is taken to be the mean of these two counts, hence 40,252 birds. This is 7% greater than the adopted estimate of the previous winter, but 20% lower than the all-time maximum of 50,232 geese in 2006/07.

Results from productivity assessments carried out on Islay in 2010/11 indicate a reasonably good breeding season in 2010; 11.2% young

being higher than the previous 10-year mean of 8.5%. Notably, since 2001, annual breeding success based on assessments on Islay has been <10% in seven out of the last ten years. With the addition of data from Tiree and Inishkea (Ireland), the mean overall estimate for 2010 is reduced slightly to 10.4%. Mean brood size on Islay was also relatively high at 2.26 young per successful pair, whereas on Tiree it was considerably lower (1.39 young per successful pair) (Mitchell 2011c).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Island of Islay 52,709

32 44,961 32 44,896

32 40,727 32 44,844

32 Dec 45,627 Tiree 4,323

32 3,393 32 3,725

32 3,729 32 4,190

32 Dec 3,872 North Uist 2,119

32 3,630 32 3,393

32 2,392 32 2,546

32 Feb 2,816 South Walls (Hoy) 1,710

32 1,874 32 1,800

32 1,600 32 1,861

32 Feb 1,769 Colonsay/Oronsay 1,332

32 1,200 32 1,874

32 2,100 32 2,056

32 Dec 1,712 Isle of Coll 2,456

32 800 32 968

32 880 32 775

32 Dec 1,176 Sites of national importance in the UK Keills Peninsula and Isle of Danna 627 3 711 3 550 3 600 3 715 3 Dec 641 ��

Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Balnakiel Farm 130 809 (0) (0) 500 Feb 480

Svalbard Barnacle Goose International threshold (Svalbard population): 300

Branta leucopsis Great Britain threshold: 330

GB max: 35,640 Oct

NI max: 0

% young: 10.8


Figure 12.a, Annual indices & trend for Svalbard

Barnacle Goose in GB.

The population of Svalbard-breeding Barnacle

Geese increased for the fifth consecutive year. Consequently, in 2010/11, the annual index reached its highest ever value. Twenty-five co-ordinated counts were undertaken between September 2010 and May 2011 across the Inner

Solway Estuary, and used to derive an adopted population total of 35,900 birds (Griffin 2011). This represents the largest ever estimate, and is an increase of 9% on the comparable estimate for the previous winter.

Although the population is increasing, the core feeding areas for Svalbard Barnacle Geese on the Solway have remained broadly the same. Rockcliffe Marsh at the eastern end of the Solway is especially heavily used by geese throughout the winter, and in late April/early May during a period of rapid turnover when at least 99% of the population visit the site for up to a week before departing for Svalbard (WWT data). As Rockcliffe Marsh is expanding due to saltmarsh accretion, it is becoming increasingly difficult to monitor the area. Therefore, it would be timely to consider the use of aerial counts coupled with high definition photography of the flocks, in order to assess the true population size and provide a comparison with ground counts.

Annual Index

Trend

42

In 2010/11, breeding success was assessed throughout the winter at WWT Caerlaverock and other sites around the Solway; 10.8% young and

a mean brood size of 2.5 young per successful pair, represents the best breeding season since 2007.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Solway Firth 29,370 1 29,815 1 31,111 1 29,170 1 35,640 1 Oct 31,021 Lindisfarne 1,202 (190) 70 (300) 42 Jan 438 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Loch of Strathbeg 181 121 8 62 67 31 Oct 92

Naturalised Barnacle Goose Naturalised establishment†

Branta leucopsis

GB max: 1,802 Jan

NI max: 375 Oct

Figure 13.a, Annual indices & trend for Naturalised

Barnacle Goose in GB. Figure 13.b, Monthly indices for Naturalised Barnacle

Goose in GB.

Barnacle Geese are treated as naturalised on

the basis of geographical location, with those outside the normal ranges of the Svalbard and Greenland populations assigned as such. As a result, it should be borne in mind that is possible that some extra-limital birds from the Svalbard and Greenland populations, are incorrectly assigned, though this is considered unlikely.

The national index for naturalised Barnacle Geese rose again in 2010/11, to its highest ever

level. A similarly steep rise has been witnessed across the North Sea in The Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2012). Counts of 300+ were noted at three sites during WeBS Core counts in 2010/11; Willington, Minsmere, and North Warren & Thorpeness Mere. Maxima in excess of 100 birds were noted at a further eight sites. In Northern Ireland, a highest ever peak was recorded at Strangford Lough.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 50 or more birds in Great Britain† Humber Estuary 318 631 200 (349) (172) Nov 383 Minsmere 17 240 650 260 300 Jan 293 Willington 5 287 (227) 382 Jan 225 North Warren and Thorpeness Mere 90 147 230 195 (312) Oct 195 Roxton Lake 128 170 246 172 159 Jun 175 Severn Estuary 126 126 150 192 152 Mar 149 Derwent Water 137 184 160 137 97 May 143 Ullswater 186 230 82 170 3 Jan 134 Hamford Water 19 0 146 221 273 Mar 132 Frampton Pools 114 118 108 146 122 Mar 122 Benacre Broad 359 52 0 70 120 Sep 120

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

43

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Bassenthwaite Lake 1 12 140 52 163 Mar 74 Dungeness and Rye Bay 44 92 79 83 63 Dec 72 Hornsea Mere 72 73 67 67 76 Nov 71 Pegwell Bay 0 46 0 3

12 300 12 Dec 70

Morecambe Bay 18 7 23 196 53 57 Jan 69 Duddon Estuary (10) 65 (0) (38) (0) 65 Osberton 68 71 51 74 31 Nov 59 Alde Complex 19 (0) (1) 108 40 Oct 56 Lound Waterworks 104 50 37 45 41 Jan 55 Barcombe Mills Reservoir 53 56 53 56 54 Jan 54 Sites with mean peak counts of 50 or more birds in Northern Ireland† Strangford Lough 279 275 325 365 375 Oct 324 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Priory Country Park (Barkers Lane Gravel Pit) 0 0 0 140 Sep 35 Colne Estuary 0 2 0 0 89

12 Dec 18 Crouch-Roach Estuary 2 14 36 50 60 Oct 32 Lower Derwent Ings 6 1 0 56 59 Feb 24

† as no British or All-Ireland thresholds have been set a qualifying level of 50 has been chosen to select sites for

presentation in this report

Dark-bellied Brent Goose International threshold (W Siberia & W Europe): 2,400

Branta bernicla bernicla Great Britain threshold: 910


GB max: 71,550 Feb

NI max: 1 Feb

% young: 10.8


Figure 14.a, Annual indices & trend for Dark-bellied

Brent Goose in GB. Figure 14.b, Monthly indices for Dark-bellied Brent

Goose in GB.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese winter along the

coasts of western Europe, the majority at sites on the Atlantic west coast of France, the south and east coasts of England, southwest Netherlands and the Wadden Sea. The species is now at the same status as the early 1980s, when it was in the ascendancy before reaching a notable peak in 1993/94. Since then numbers have fallen somewhat, but the last decade has seen relative stability. A very similar overall pattern has been recorded on the Wadden Sea in The Netherlands over the same period (Hornman et al. 2012).

Twelve sites in Britain qualified as being of international importance in 2010/11. Typically, these were all located between the Humber Estuary on the east coast and Portsmouth Harbour on the south coast. The maximum from The Wash was close to the recent average; annual peaks of 20,000+ were regular up until 2007/08 inclusive. Elsewhere, perhaps the most notable count was the record 23,057 at Thames Estuary, which recalls a similarly high peak there in 2007/08. A further thirteen sites surpassed the qualifying threshold for national importance, following the demotion of Colne Estuary, Swale

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

44

Estuary and Northwest Solent after the lowest annual peaks for several years at those three sites.

Results from age assessments undertaken at wintering sites in the UK indicate that flocks of Dark-bellied Brent Geese in 2010 comprised 12.7% young birds, above the recent average and 7.4% higher than the previous year. Mean brood size was 2.7 young per successful pair, also higher than in 2009/10 and slightly above the previous ten-year mean of 2.06 (Reed

2011c). Although monitoring indicated that rodent and predators numbers were generally low in arctic Russia during 2010, high densities were recorded at a scattering of sites (Soloviev & Tomkovich 2011). Because breeding success of Dark-Bellied Brent Geese is greatly influenced by interactions between rodent abundance and predator pressure, it is probable that low levels of predation at these particular sites enabled geese to breed successfully.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK The Wash 20,870 21,101 13,993 15,438 16,104 Oct 17,501 Thames Estuary 8,100 22,047 11,684 12,541 23,057 Oct 15,486 Chichester Harbour 9,605 12,171 8,757 8,569 11,434 Jan 10,107 Blackwater Estuary 7,293 8,278 6,692 7,564 (5,410) Jan 7,457 North Norfolk Coast 7,091 7,614 6,614 5,830 (5,669) Dec 6,787 Hamford Water 4,089 4,157 5,698 10 (5,572) (5,935) Dec 5,090 Humber Estuary (4,586) (2,430) (2,801) (3,245) (2,370) Jan (4,586) Langstone Harbour 4,906 5,263 4,165 3,846 3,947 Nov 4,425 Crouch-Roach Estuary (4,471) 4,534 4,241 3,149 4,368 10 Jan 4,073 Dengie Flats 2,901 (3,560) 2,364 3,871 2,499 Feb 3,039 Pagham Harbour 2,744 2,341 2,522 3,015 2,453 Mar 2,615 Portsmouth Harbour 3,162 (2,500) 2,538 10 (2,030) 2,054 Feb 2,585 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Fleet and Wey 1,554 1,810 2,200 2,190 10 2,416 Dec 2,034 Colne Estuary 1,296 2,536 2,076 2,839 1,135 Feb 1,976 ��

Swale Estuary 2,310 1,857 2,115 (1,782) 1,448 Oct 1,933 ��

North West Solent 1,808 2,101 1,885 2,050 1,800 Jan 1,929 ��

Stour Estuary 2,063 2,038 1,726 1,891 1,875 Mar 1,919 Medway Estuary (1,076) (1,367) (959) (1,509) (1,684) Mar (1,684) Newtown Estuary 1,662 2,115 1,469 1,382 1,707 Feb 1,667 Orwell Estuary 1,500 10 (1,405) 1,266 1,503 10 (1,610) Jan 1,470 Exe Estuary 1,374 1,820 1,614 1,317 1,219 Dec 1,469 Deben Estuary 1,759 (1,409) 1,038 1,173 1,883 Jan 1,463 Beaulieu Estuary 3,439 774 689 798 746 Feb 1,289 Southampton Water 1,151 1,674 869 1,055

12 1,649 Jan 1,280 Jersey Shore 733 1,317 1,481

11 1,467 11 Nov 1,250 Poole Harbour 1,146 (721) (812) (938) (882) Dec 1,146 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Burry Inlet 937 764 860 927 555 Jan 809 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Holland Marshes 4 1,250 20 200 11 1,250

11 Jan 545 Bracklesham Bay 5 1 135 925 Dec 267

C.J.F. Coombs

45

Canadian Light-bellied Brent Goose International threshold

(Canada & Greenland): 400

Branta bernicla hrota Great Britain threshold: 7


GB max: 1,018 Jan

NI max: 36,519 Oct


Figure 15.a, Annual indices & trend for Nearctic Light-

bellied Brent Goose in Northern Ireland. Figure 15.b, Monthly indices for Nearctic Light-bellied

Brent Goose in Northern Ireland.

The population of Light-bellied Brent Geese

which breeds on the Arctic islands of north-east Canada migrate across Greenland and Iceland, and winters mostly in Ireland. As the winter progresses, increasing numbers move southwards and use sites in western Britain, Channel Islands, and on the Atlantic coasts of France and Spain.

The International Census of East Canadian High Arctic Light-bellied Brent Geese took place in October 2010 for a ninth consecutive year, and involved coverage of sites in Iceland, Ireland and UK. A total population of 38,216 geese was counted, slightly higher than that in 2009/10.

Typically, the majority were in Northern Ireland, principally at Strangford Lough (28,600) and Lough Foyle (2,650). On the other side of the Irish Sea, site maxima were noted at Dee Estuary and Inland Sea & Alaw Estuary, while 200+ were at Morecambe Bay for the third year in succession. The international population estimate has been increased from 26,000 to 40,000 (Wetlands International 2012).

Annual breeding success tends to be either good or very poor. In 2010/11, just 3.2% birds were considered to be young, indicative of another poor year following the worst since the mid-1970s recorded in 2009/10.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Strangford Lough 24,658 30,457 20,702 21,375 33,750 Oct 26,188 Lough Foyle 2,177 3,251 2,550 3,862 2,652 Oct 2,898 Dundrum Inner Bay 575 1,108 1,232 982 948 Feb 969 Outer Ards Shoreline 577 946 781 580 621 Mar 701 Carlingford Lough 542 483 626 330 6 (160) Apr 495 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Larne Lough 256 369 655 219 376 Nov 375 ��

Killough Harbour 282 282 ��

Traeth Melynog 351 187 238 Jan 259 ��

Morecambe Bay (65) (129) (236) 276 205 Dec 241 ��

Foryd Bay 47 181 295 6 170 270 Nov 193 Inland Sea and Alaw Estuary 79 6 174 209 227 Mar 172 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 104 199 174 130 214 Mar 164 Cymyran Strait (Four Mile Bridge to Sea) 0 0 204 182 Jan 97 Loch Ryan (37) 52 0 110 102 Nov 66 Jersey Shore 23 36 85 6 57 6 Nov 50 Cleddau Estuary (7) 12 51 36 41 Dec 35

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

46

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Broadford Bay 0 (0) 122 0 0 31 Scarlett Pt to Strandhall 40 18 29 Lavan Sands 15 24 28 54 21 Feb 28 Fleet and Wey 35 6 7 6 21 Dinas Dinlle to Afon Llifon 18 6 15 6 Mar 17 Inner Loch Indaal 17 6 Nov 17 ��

Tamar Complex 16 6 Feb 16 Derbyhaven Bay 0 23 12 Severn Estuary 2 11 0 10 11 Mar 7 ��

Garlieston Bay 7 6 7 South Ford 0 0 1 27 Oct 7 ��

Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Swansea Bay 0 0 11 (3) 7 Apr 5 Ribble Estuary (0) (1) 8 (2) 0 4

No data since 2006/07: Ayr to North Troon, Loch Gruinart, Loch Riaghain (Tiree) Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Wigtown Bay (0) 0 0 8 10 Nov 5 Fishguard Harbour 0 5 2 8 Oct 4 Swansea Bay 0 0 11 (3) 7 Apr 5

Svalbard Light-bellied Brent Goose International threshold (Svalbard): 75

Branta bernicla hrota Great Britain threshold: 34

GB max: 5,637 Oct

NI max: 0 *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

% young: 10.8

11.6 Brood size: -

Figure 16.a, Annual indices & trend for Svalbard Light-

bellied Brent Goose in GB. Figure 16.b, Monthly indices for Svalbard Light-bellied

Brent Goose in GB.

The population of Light-bellied Brent Geese

which breeds in Svalbard, north-east Greenland and Franz Josef Land, has shown a trend of fluctuating increase over the last 30 years. The main wintering sites were traditionally in Denmark, but Lindisfarne has gradually increased in importance with numbers there rising from 200 birds in the 1950s to typically 3,000+ during the 2000s.

In 2010/11, the annual index value rose to its highest ever value and the peak count at Lindisfarne of 5,612 in October was the most ever recorded. The latter total represents an

increase of 13% compared to the previous peak of the year before. Typically, both Eden Estuary and Inner Moray & Inverness Firth supported small flocks during the winter, consolidating their status as sites of national importance. However, as shown below, a major feature of the midwinter period was the presence of several flocks of 80+ at less expected sites on the east coast of Britain, particularly Northumberland. These counts (as well as the record aggregation at Lindisfarne) provide an indication of an exodus of geese from Denmark and elsewhere across the North Sea during the

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

47

frozen conditions. A similar response has been observed in previous cold winters (P. Clausen, pers. comm.); prior to 2010/11, the last marked influx into the UK was in January 1987.

Breeding success was assessed by monitoring of birds at Lindisfarne and two other sites on the

east coast of Britain, and at 11.6% was a marked improvement on the previous year. The percentage of young in wintering flocks has generally been low over the past ten years, only exceeding 10% on four occasions since 1992/93. No brood size data were collected.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Lindisfarne (3,350) (3,798) 3,879 (4,935) 5,612 Oct 4,809 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Inner Moray and Inverness Firth 43 14 99 52 64 Jan 54 Humber Estuary (8) 2 3 30 154 Jan 47 ��

Howick to Beadnell 0 0 6 5 201 Dec 42 ��

Eden Estuary 18 69 29 6 41 42 Dec 40 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 0 0 0 0 155 12 Jan 31 Beadnell to Seahouses 0 1 12 0 140 Feb 31 Boulmer to Howick 0 0 0 0 (119) Jan 24 Seahouses to Budle Point 18 0 0 22 110 Feb 30 Alnmouth to Boulmer 3 0 0 1 (80) Feb 17 Newton Pool 0 0 0 0 63 12 Dec 63

Black Brant Vagrant

Branta bernicla nigricans Native Range: N America and E Asia

Black Brants were recorded in flocks of Dark-

bellied Brent Geese at ten sites along the English coast between The Wash and Dorset. Records

spanned November to March, and all related to singles apart from two at Fleet & Wey in February.

Red-breasted Goose Vagrant and escape

Branta ruficollis Native Range: SE Europe, Asia

Red-breasted Geese were seen at 12 WeBS

sites in England. Typically the provenance of most is doubtful, most obviously a group of five recorded in Suffolk and Essex throughout the

year. However, a potential genuine vagrant may have been responsible for sightings at Southampton Water (Jan), Yar Estuary (Feb) and Northwest Solent (Feb).

Egyptian Goose Naturalised introduction

Alopochen aegyptiaca Native Range: Africa

GB max: 724 Sep

NI max: 0

In 2010/11, the national index for Egyptian Goose rose to its highest ever point, and there is every indication that this species will continue to expand across Britain in the years ahead. A record 200 WeBS sites held the species, representing an increase of >50% in the number of sites over the course of the last two years. As was the case in 2009/10, this distribution included single locations in both Wales and Scotland.

Typically, many of the largest counts emanated from Norfolk, although the listing of Eversley & Yateley Gravel Pits, Rutland Water and Summerleaze Gravel Pits near to the top of the table below is strong evidence of the steady expansion taking place away from the East Anglian core. The above average monthly index value for September infers high breeding success of this increasing population, presumably aiding the range expansion.

48

Figure 17.a, Annual indices & trend for Egyptian Goose in

GB. Figure 17.b, Monthly indices for Egyptian Goose in GB.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 10 or more birds in Great Britain North Norfolk Coast 211 125 (162) 133 153 Aug 157 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 55 134 12 83 12 256 11 192 11 Sep 144 Eversley Cross and Yateley Gravel Pits 69 96 156 117 162 11 Sep 120 Rutland Water 64 56 96 63 77 Sep 71 Cranwich Gravel Pits 59 93 53 Aug 68 Yare Valley - Marlingford to Bawburgh 52 12 (61) 68 12 52 97 Jul 67 Middle Yare Marshes 65 81 (30) (50) 51 Oct 66 The Wash 39 (32) 32 78 42 Sep 48 Nar Valley Fisheries Lakes 30 41 Aug 36 Summerleaze Gravel Pits 2 60 62 35 11 Feb 34 Nunnery Lakes 36 36 26 37 28 Jul 33 Trinity Broads (8) 26 33 19 48 Jun 32 Bawsey Country Park 29 Jun 29 Whitlingham Country Park 24 24 21 35 14 Apr 24 Busbridge Lakes 17 17 25 22 (27) Dec 22 Lound Waterworks 14 5 25 19 32 Aug 19 Wimbledon Park Lake 21 10 15 25 Jun 18 Rocester Pools 0 21 32 Jul 18 Clapham Common 12 19 18 Dec 16 Spade Oak Gravel Pit (Little Marlow) 11 19 22 19 8 Nov 16 Redgrave Lake 7 17 11 12 33 Sep 16 Queen Mary Reservoir 0 47 2 20 5 May 15 Earith Gravel Pits 21 12 8 12 16 15 Aug 15 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Lee Valley Gravel Pits 4 6 14 8 38 Dec 14 Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve 17 6 9 11 27 Sep 14 Wellington Country Park 9 9 12 8 17 Jul 11 Sevenoaks Wildfowl Reserve 5 7 5 12 17 Jul 9 Dart Estuary 6 (10) 8 6 15 Aug 9 Castle Marshes Reserve 3 2 2 8 23 Feb 8 River Avon - Fordingbridge to Ringwood 0 0 3 9 19 Oct 6



Paradise Shelduck Escape

Tadorna variegata Native Range: New Zealand

One was at Petworth Park (Mar).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

49

Australian Shelduck Escape

Tadorna tadornoides Native Range: Australia

One was at Petworth Park (Jan, Mar).

Ruddy Shelduck Escape and possible vagrant

Tadorna ferruginea Native Range: Asia, N Africa, S Europe

Ruddy Shelducks were noted at 19 WeBS

sites during the year, all in England apart from one at Carmarthen Bay in November. A typical

late-summer peak included four birds at Rostherne Mere in August.

Common Shelduck International threshold (NW Europe population): 3,000

Tadorna tadorna Great Britain threshold: 610


GB max: 52,041 Jan

NI max: 3,526 Jan

Figure 18.a, Annual indices & trend for Shelduck in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 18.b, Monthly indices for Shelduck in GB (above)

& NI (below).

The majority of British and Irish breeding

Shelduck are known to migrate to the Helgoland Bight of the Wadden Sea to moult, where they are joined by birds from Scandinavia and the Baltic. Although several sites on this side of the North Sea, such as the Mersey, Humber and Severn estuaries, are also of importance for moulting birds, the monthly indices indicate that below average numbers were present in Britain during late-summer in 2010/11.

Perhaps in response to the general trend for milder winters in north-west Europe (up until 2009/10), the number of Shelduck wintering in The Netherlands has increased since the mid 1990s (Hornman et al. 2012), implying a shift in distribution across the North Sea in that time. However, in January 2011 there was an apparent influx of Shelducks into Britain, presumably from the Wadden Sea due to the cold weather conditions prevalent at the time.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

50

Eight sites in Britain continue to surpass the threshold for international importance. Although the October total recorded at Dee Estuary represents the fourth highest ever annual peak from that site, reported maxima from the other sites of international importance were less favourable. The apparent marked drop at Mersey Estuary is especially noticeable. If it is a genuine decline, it cannot be explained by the recent increase noted on the Dee. Elsewhere in north-west England, numbers have also decreased markedly on the Ribble Estuary since the 1990s.

Shelducks can show marked responses to subtle changes in habitat quality. A decline in numbers using The Wash has been linked to over-exploitation of the cockle and mussel fishery there (Atkinson et al. 2010). During the 1980s, mid winter maxima of 15,000+ Shelducks were a feature of the site, peaking at an exceptional 21,304 birds in December 1985; the most ever noted through WeBS.

In Northern Ireland, numbers have steadily declined over the course of the last five years, returning the species to an equivalent status to the mid 1980s when monitoring began there.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 10,869 9,425 9,457 11,688 12,234 Oct 10,735 Mersey Estuary (16,721) (10,644) (4,237) (3,613) 2,395 Aug 7,522 Morecambe Bay (8,880) 5,804 (8,409) (8,367) 6,081 Nov 7,508 The Wash 6,855 6,656 6,046 6,155 (5,228) Jan 6,428 Humber Estuary 4,823 5,804 (2,892) (6,137) (4,095) Aug 5,588 Strangford Lough 3,413 10 6,084 10 5,583 10 3,069 10 3,101 10 Dec 4,250 Severn Estuary 3,711 (5,414) 3,943 5,148 2,945 Mar 4,232 Forth Estuary (3,546) 3,283 2,774 4,047 3,322 Sep 3,394 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Ribble Estuary 2,577 2,216 2,878 (2,327) 3,094 Jul 2,691 Blackwater Estuary 2,623 (2,369) 2,642 (2,342) (1,936) Jan 2,633 Stour Estuary 1,641 2,402 3,499 10 2,396 10 (1,652) Jan 2,485 Lindisfarne 1,868 (1,406) (2,302) (1,451) 2,086 Nov 2,085 Thames Estuary 1,870 2,498 (1,941) 1,362 (1,792) Feb 1,918 Medway Estuary (1,290) (1,631) (1,604) (1,673) (1,884) Jan (1,884) Hamford Water (1,496) 2,450 1,838 1,401 1,264 Jan 1,738 Swale Estuary 1,406 2,003 1,926 1,636 1,667 Feb 1,728 Solway Estuary 2,888 1,902 (708) 763 558 Feb 1,528 North Norfolk Coast 1,361 1,222 10 981 1,027 1,106 Mar 1,139 Montrose Basin (1,106) (1,098) 806 1,191 1,365 Feb 1,121 Crouch-Roach Estuary 577 823 1,029 935 2,115 10 Dec 1,096 Alde Complex 1,181 1,120 (1,041) 1,020 982 Mar 1,076 Poole Harbour (1,043) (788) (899) (715) (790) Jan (1,043) WWT Martin Mere 1,075 780 1,290 1,050 1,012 Jan 1,041 Wigtown Bay 751 880 1,017 1,338 462 Oct 890 Orwell Estuary 727 10 (419) 807 10 849 10 922 Jan 826 Colne Estuary 326 1,600 10 (406) 813 547 Feb 822 Burry Inlet 690 780 962 759 10 646 Feb 767 Duddon Estuary 363 498 790 911 866 Feb 686 Deben Estuary 837 754 554 467 635 Feb 649 Chichester Harbour 643 449 560 926 638 Dec 643 Cleddau Estuary 497 607 763 580 765 Jan 642 Blyth Estuary 677 794 (493) 413 (346) Dec 628 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Larne Lough 832 486 931 819 728 Feb 759 Belfast Lough (378) 265 691 916 10 375 Jan 562 Carlingford Lough (349) 477 434 278 237 Feb 357 Lough Foyle 264 322 364 122 139 Feb 242 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Tees Estuary 816 588 599 517 485 Mar 601 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Dengie Flats 238 192 248 238 876 Jan 358 Lavan Sands 395 424 379 445 653 Feb 459 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Winter 2010/2011 in Northern Ireland Dundrum Inner Bay 70 188 109 116 150 Feb 127

51

John Harding

Muscovy Duck Escape

Cairina moschata Native Range: S America

Recorded at 47 WeBS sites in 2010/11, a

monthly peak of 65 Muscovy Ducks was noted in January. Peaks were ten at Hesketh Park Lake, and eight at Brayford Pool and Bucklands Pond.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 5 or more birds in Great Britain Brayford Pool, Lincoln 26 17 14 11 8 Jul 15 Hesketh Park Lake 11 14 15 10 Jul 13 Fort Henry Ponds and Exton Park Lakes 43 5 1 0 0 10 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Bucklands Pond, Nailsea 3 3 3 3 8 Jan 4 Tarns Dub 0 0 0 0 6 Nov 1

Wood Duck Escape

Aix sponsa Native Range: N America

Wood Ducks were seen at 12 WeBS sites in

2010/11, including locations in both Wales and Scotland . All were single birds apart from two at Connaught Water in July.

Mandarin Duck Naturalised introduction

Aix galericulata Native Range: E Asia

GB max: 703 Nov

NI max: 0

Records of Mandarin Ducks were received from 189 sites in 2010/11, representing an increase of 22% compared to the previous year. This total is indicative of a range expansion, but could also partly reflect both increased WeBS coverage of small wooded lakes and ponds and

potential displacement during the frozen 2010/11 midwinter period. Most sites were in England, with just two sites in Scotland and four in Wales. A monthly maximum of 703 birds was logged in November, and the national index was at a similarly high level to the past two years.

52

Figure 19.a, Annual indices & trend for Mandarin in GB. Figure 19.b, Monthly indices for Mandarin in GB.

In 2010/11, counts of 50+ were received from

nine sites. These included marked increases in the peaks, both in November, reported from Stockgrove Country Park (121) and Linacre Reservoirs (135). These counts were surpassed only by that from the traditional haunt of Forest of Dean Ponds where a supplementary count of

245 (Oct) represents the most ever reported. Notably, following the speculation in last year’s report, a count of 100+ from the River Severn at Trimpley provides some evidence of the concentrations of this species probably present elsewhere in the English/Welsh border region.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 20 or more birds in Great Britain† Forest of Dean Ponds 236

12 232

12 74

12 245

12 Oct 197 Bradley Pools 251

12 75

12 120

12 98

12 Dec 136 R.Severn, Trimpley 101

12 Dec 101 Brookleys Lake 11

46 98

46 51

46 160

46 86 Nov 81 Trimpley Reservoir 64 (38) Dec 64 Stockgrove Country Park 3 67 39 121 Nov 58 Linacre Reservoirs 25 35 23 45 135 Nov 53 Dee Flood Meadows 83 48 35 47 30 Sep 49 Busbridge Lakes 41 31 52 36 61 Feb 44 Bough Beech Reservoir 60

12 42 48 50

12 6 May 41 Kedleston Park Lake 80

12 54

12 23

12 8

12 Mar 41 Harewood Lake 25 44 62 32 Oct 41 Arun Valley 25 53 71 28 22 Apr 40 Darwell Reservoir 74 33 41 0 37 Blackbrook Reservoir 16 13 8 64

12 79

12 Jul 36 Connaught Water (Epping Forest) 44 40 38 27 17 Dec 33 Wimpole Park 33 Jan 33 Headley Mill Pond 15 64 28 22

12 18 Feb 29 Strawberry Hill Ponds 44 33 17 41 12 Feb 29 Blatherwyke Lake 3 21 48 32 32 Feb 27 Osterley Park Lakes 14 21 37 32 19 Aug 25 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Radnor Mere 6 15 12 26 33 Jan 18 Mere Farm Quarry - Chelford 0 0 0 0 25 Dec 5



Maned Duck Escape

Chenonetta jubata Native Range: Australia

One was at Testwood Lakes (Sep-Oct).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

53

Eurasian Wigeon International threshold (W Siberia and NE Europe population): 15,000

Anas penelope Great Britain threshold: 4,400


GB max: 391,660 Jan

NI max: 3,885 Oct

Figure 20.a, Annual indices & trend for Wigeon in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 20.b, Monthly indices for Wigeon in GB (above) &

NI (below).

Following the record high index value

reached in 2005/06, numbers of Wigeon in Britain have been stable, at approximately 10% lower in the five years since. In 2010/11, four sites continued to meet the citerion for international importance. At the principal site, Ribble Estuary, the peak recorded in November was close to the recent site average, although some way short of the total logged there two years previously.

The two top inland sites, Ouse Washes and Somerset Levels, both held maxima in January that were well in excess of typical numbers for those sites, presumably associated with the frozen conditions prevalent across north-west Europe at the time. The count at Somerset Levels is exceptional, if one considers that the previous maximum there was 39,546 in January 2003 (itself 10,000+ more birds than the next highest count, noted the following year). At Ouse Washes, although the peak in 2010/11 was the highest since the site maximum of over 55,000 five years before, historically the site has regularly been used by peaks in excess of 30,000

Wigeon. Among the 17 additional sites that surpass the threshold for national importance, further evidence of responses to the cold weather was provided by the midwinter peaks at Nene Washes (following a similarly high maximum during a cold spell in 2009/10), Severn Estuary and Dungeness & Rye Bay.

It is possible that the December peak at the latter site and some others indicates a fresh influx of birds from frozen continental Europe at that time. Interestingly, further support for Britain being used as a refuge is provided by the fact that the monthly indices show a larger than expected exodus of Wigeon in February, after the cold period. Wigeon wintering in Britain largely comprise breeding birds from Scandinavia, northeast Europe and western Russia – it might therefore be expected that this species would show a climatic-induced shift in winter distribution towards the breeding range core, as identified in some waders by Maclean et

al. (2008). However, recent work by the research group

Nordic Waterbirds and Climate Network

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

54

(NOWAC) indicates that, of the six common dabbling duck species, Wigeon has shown the least change in core distribution within Europe in response to climate (Dalby et al. 2012). However, record numbers in Switzerland in recent years (e.g. Keller & Burkhardt 2010) tends to suggest some degree of change either in distribution or overall abundance, and the wintering population in Northern Ireland is in

steep decline. Given that Wigeon have been shown to respond to temperature in the breeding season, when breeding success is correlated with temperature in breeding areas (Mitchell et al. 2008), further research is required to examine the population dynamics and responses to environmental change (whether associated with climate change or more localised factors) of the species in winter.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Ribble Estuary (57,385) 85,964 97,512 64,633 80,148 Nov 82,269 Somerset Levels 27,391 28,882 21,186 26,073 51,189 Jan 30,944 Ouse Washes 26,984 19,800 (29,658) 24,175

12 43,010

12 Jan 28,725 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 18,184

12 21,400

12 21,074

12 22,770

12 24,231

12 Jan 21,532 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Swale Estuary 7,041 11,560 12,134 25,848 14,800 Dec 14,277 Nene Washes 8,180 10,497 9,096 22,571 20,460 Jan 14,161 Lower Derwent Ings 14,200 11,600 9,614 14,803 17,803 Mar 13,604 North Norfolk Coast 16,750 11,998 10,304 7,557 11,148 Dec 11,551 Dornoch Firth 9,763 11,115 (12,303) 8,221 15,440 Oct 11,368 Lindisfarne 10,840 (12,000) 10,194 (7,990) (8,922) Nov 11,011 The Wash 6,612 8,961 (5,124) 13,224 8,062 Oct 9,215 Severn Estuary 9,343 10,008 8,672 10 7,676 (10,284) Jan 9,197 Cromarty Firth 8,510 10,510 (9,109) 4,626 7,915 Oct 8,134 Alde Complex 8,280 6,337 5,345 9,128 (9,672) Dec 7,752 Morecambe Bay (6,201) (6,260) 9,110 (7,179) 6,137 Jan 7,624 Cleddau Estuary 7,643 7,130 7,429 8,227 7,580 Nov 7,602 Dungeness and Rye Bay 5,193 4,010 2,711 (5,574) (13,852) Dec 6,268 Thames Estuary 3,566 9,293 4,428 6,641 5,653 Jan 5,916 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth 5,863 7,666 6,555 3,546 5,884 Oct 5,903 Middle Yare Marshes 3,890 6,507 5,511 7,904 5,545 Feb 5,871 Blackwater Estuary 6,580 5,667 5,836 4,722 3,713 Jan 5,304 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Lough Foyle 5,406 2,835 3,118 1,273 1,409 Oct 2,808 Strangford Lough 3,476 1,582 1,540 1,559 2,178 Oct 2,067 Loughs Neagh and Beg 1,878 1,614 1,427 1,528 1,156 Jan 1,521 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Abberton Reservoir 654 6,572 5,815 4,906 2,143 Oct 4,018 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 5,797 (2,461) 1,776 3,512 2,568 Oct 3,413 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Fleet and Wey 3,087 2,285 3,089 5,131 8,244 Dec 4,367 Hamford Water (2,102) 2,718 2,491 10 1,894 (5,599) Dec 3,176 Rutland Water 2,278 2,773 3,414 4,883 5,480 Dec 3,766

American Wigeon Vagrant

Anas americana Native Range: N & C America

Singles were noted at three sites: Rutland

Water (Jan-Feb), North Norfolk Coast (Jan) and Loch Bee, South Uist (Apr).

Chiloe Wigeon Escape

Anas sibilatrix Native Range: S America

Records from three sites included a peak of

six birds at Hereford Quarry (Sep).

55

Gadwall International threshold

(NW Europe population): 600

Anas strepera Great Britain threshold: 250


GB max: 20,526 Jan

NI max: 183 Nov

Figure 21.a, Annual indices & trend for Gadwall in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 21.b, Monthly indices for Gadwall in GB (above) &

NI (below).

Following a sustained rise over the past thirty

years, the rate of increase in Gadwall numbers in Britain appears to be slowing. Monitoring schemes elsewhere in Europe, e.g. The Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2012) and Switzerland (Keller & Műller 2012), have also shown marked increases in the population of this species which continue to be maintained.

In general, the monthly indices suggest no marked net influx or exodus of Gadwall into or from Britain during the cold winter of 2010/11. Based on five-year means, seven sites in the UK are of international importance for Gadwall. These sites included Pitsford Reservoir for the first time, following an all-time high of 1,044 birds there in October 2010. Rutland Water again hosted the largest aggregation of the year (1,289, Dec), albeit considerably fewer than the exceptionally high number present during winter 2009/10. The historic maximum from Rutland Water relates to an unprecedented count of 2,181 birds in November 1997. River Avon (Fordingbridge to Ringwood) and Abberton

Reservoir both held maxima of 1,000+ (for the first and second times, respectively). The notable January peak from the River Avon is indicative of a shift in distribution from other frozen wetlands. Maxima were typical of recent years at the other sites of international importance. Based on the numbers present at Dungeness & Rye Bay in both 2009/10 and 2010/11, it would seem likely that site will also surpass the threshold for international importance in the near future.

Seven further sites are of national importance. In addition, unusually high counts emanated from a number of other less typical locations during the winter, perhaps linked to displacement of birds (either from within Britain or perhaps elsewhere in Europe) due to the adverse weather conditions. These included all-time maxima at Whitlingham Country Park (720, Dec) and Sonning Eye & Henley Road Gravel Pits (551, Jan).

The relatively small population of Gadwall in Northern Ireland, most of which use Loughs

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

56

Neagh & Beg and Strangford Lough, has shown a notable increase in the past two years. Will the species continue to increase there, and thereby mirror the upward trend that has characterised other northwest European countries?

Outwith winter, a site-record total of 375 at North Norfolk Coast in May is a useful indication of the increasing national breeding population of Gadwall, which is no longer assessed and reported on by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (Holling et al. 2012).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Rutland Water 904 992 1,520 2,119 1,289 Dec 1,365 Ouse Washes 220 970 1,508 998 729 Feb 885 River Avon - Fordingbridge to Ringwood 755 725 653 854 1,149 Jan 827 Abberton Reservoir (535) 483 493 797 1,128 Sep 725 Lee Valley Gravel Pits 518 703 700 669 896 Dec 697 Thames Estuary 451 (431) 687 909 (357) Feb 682 Pitsford Reservoir 444 264 352 916 1,044 Oct 604 ��

Sites of national importance in Great Britain Dungeness and Rye Bay 362 485 417 1,014 715 Dec 599 Somerset Levels 424 706 614 485 317 Feb 509 Tees Estuary 433 464 342 480 433 Sep 430 Sutton and Lound Gravel Pits 425 437 282 539 399 Feb 416 Fen Drayton Gravel Pits 553 387 442 361 303 Dec 409 Cotswold Water Park (West) 330 (217) (395) 420 (427) Feb 393 Orwell Estuary 340 10 268 722 10 414 194 Oct 388 Minsmere 410 468 388 434 216 Jul 383 Loch Leven 309 284 345 12 417 422 Sep 355 Whitlingham Country Park 111 114 230 12 547 720 Dec 344 ��

North Norfolk Coast 186 314 388 418 375 May 336 Blackwater Estuary 231 395 154 488 (372)12 Dec 328 Woolston Eyes (84) 397 192 439 103 Nov 283 Middle Tame Valley Gravel Pits (131) (108) 275 (94) (117) Sep 275 Nene Washes 151 277 170 494 234 Mar 265 ��

Little Paxton Gravel Pits 215 324 280 307 173 Jan 260 Ouse Fen and Pits (Hanson/RSPB) (49) 203 317 293 219 Feb 258 ��

Chew Valley Lake 150 245 210 295 375 Oct 255 ��

Sonning Eye and Henley Road GPs 100 108 241 551 Jan 250 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Loughs Neagh and Beg 143 132 164 144 158 Mar 148 Strangford Lough 68 10 86 10 60 10 69 87 Nov 74 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Alton Water 166 109 226 330 123 Nov 191 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Fleet and Wey 78 42 49 133 591 Dec 179 Bewl Water 89 158 183 345 12 347 12 Dec 224 Brent Reservoir 107 114 109 329 315 Oct 195 Crouch-Roach Estuary 17 111 138 132 290 Jan 138 Buckden and Stirtloe Pits 187 214 286 12 Oct 229 Watermead Country Park North 142 120 95 186 275 Dec 164 Dogmersfield Lake 115 35 70 195 255 Nov 134 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Winter 2010/2011 in Northern Ireland Hillsborough Main Lake 2 0 13 18 22 Jan 11

Baikal Teal Vagrant and escape

Anas formosa Native Range: Asia

A Baikal Teal, of unknown origin, was

reported from Rochester Pools (Kent) in January and March. There have been three previous

WeBS records of this species, including one at Minsmere in 2001 which was considered to be a genuine vagrant.

57

Eurasian Teal International threshold

(NW Europe population): 5,000

Anas crecca Great Britain threshold: 2,100


GB max: 162,401 Jan

NI max: 4,707 Jan

Figure 22.a, Annual indices & trend for Teal in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 22.b, Monthly indices for Teal in GB (above) & NI

(below).

Most Teal that spend the winter in Great

Britain originate from breeding areas either in Iceland, Scandinavia (especially Finland) or northwest Russia. However, Guillemain et al. (2005) showed that any splitting into distinct ‘north-western European’ and ‘Mediterranean’ sub-populations (e.g. Scott & Rose 1996) was inappropriate, and that all birds wintering in west Europe are best considered as belonging to a single larger population. Hence, in extremely cold winters, such as 2010/11, some Teal are likely to be forced to make use of the whole flyway to flee cold conditions.

The count of 45,884 at Somerset Levels in February 2011 is the largest site total ever. Duck numbers have probably responded to habitat management in that area, but this high total may also represent a response to the cold weather in December and January which could have resulted in waterfowl concentrating in south-west England. Alternatively, it may represent increased flocking (and hence associated detectability) during the frozen

conditions when Teals may be forced onto open water. At other times, vegetated ditches are favoured by Teal, but such habitats can be difficult to count effectively in unfrozen conditions.

John Harding

After a period of steady increase, the national

index for Teal in Britain has been stable in recent years. Reasons for this apparent change in trajectory are unclear, but may be linked at least

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

58

in part to three relatively cold winters, particularly those of 2009/10 and 2010/11. Only continued monitoring will determine if the species reverts to showing a decline during winters characterised by weather conditions more typical of the recent era.

Based on current five-year mean peak counts, five other sites in the UK hold internationally important numbers of Teal, and a further 20 sites surpass the threshold for national importance.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Somerset Levels 21,581 17,663 24,029 13,680 45,884 Feb 24,567 Ribble Estuary (6,959) 8,045 6,072 8,064 5,256 Nov 6,879 Hamford Water (1,969) 3,255 10,684 10 3,952 (7,289) Dec 6,295 Swale Estuary (3,728) 4,470 5,485 7,030 5,831 Oct 5,704 Loch Leven 2,527 4,920 7,580 12 5,591 6,151 Sep 5,354 Morecambe Bay (2,338) 2,934 7,327 (4,009) (3,169) Oct 5,131 ��

Sites of national importance in Great Britain Lower Derwent Ings 4,221 3,714 3,393 6,411 6,361 Mar 4,820 Thames Estuary 3,940 (3,373) 4,393 5,917 (4,111) Dec 4,750 Severn Estuary 4,233 5,428 4,710 3,882 (4,568) Jan 4,564 Ouse Washes 4,333 12 3,135 5,351 2,492 12 5,245 12 Mar 4,111 ��

North Norfolk Coast 3,638 3,278 10 3,524 5,708 4,307 Nov 4,091 Blackwater Estuary (2,786) (2,207) (4,002) (2,730) (4,052) Jan (4,052) Alde Complex 3,560 3,334 3,961 4,986 4,071 Nov 3,982 Nene Washes 1,677 2,078 1,851 9,012 3,916 Jan 3,707 Mersey Estuary (3,593) (2,072) (2,000) (3,230) (2,988) Jan (3,593) ��

Humber Estuary (2,009) 2,365 (3,385) (3,538) (4,782) Oct 3,518 The Wash 2,138 2,537 (2,308) 5,811 3,176 Jan 3,416 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 3,719 2,144 3,129 10 4,413 3,348 Oct 3,351 Abberton Reservoir 2,662 3,410 872 4,975 3,924 Oct 3,169 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 3,620 12 5,612 12 3,216 12 1,337 12 1,017 12 Mar 2,960 Mersehead RSPB Reserve 3,900 1,045 3,560 2,080 Nov 2,646 Hickling Broad 2,000 3,150 2,401 2,517 Solway Estuary (2,265) (839) (1,648) 1,342 3,306 Nov 2,324 Forth Estuary 2,531 1,877 2,370 2,293 2,551 Jan 2,324 Poole Harbour (874) (1,923) (1,715) (1,415) (2,297) Dec (2,297) ��

Arun Valley 2,129 (2,343) 1,985 (2,026) (1,831) Jan 2,152 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 1,724 1,752 1,347 1,790 2,104 10 Jan 1,743 Lough Foyle 915 1,562 2,000 2,020 1,325 Oct 1,564 Loughs Neagh and Beg 1,049 1,297 889 1,345 1,030 Oct 1,122 Belfast Lough 488 640 479 618 723 Oct 590 Carlingford Lough 440 565 571 309 487 Feb 474 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth (1,890) (2,208) 1,944 1,338 2,859 Dec 2,087 WWT Martin Mere 1,430 1,200 2,005 2,640 2,500 Nov 1,955 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Chew Valley Lake 515 360 435 12 1,425 3,500 Oct 1,247 North West Solent 1,100 1,461 1,116 1,520 3,400 Dec 1,719 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth (1,890) (2,208) 1,944 1,338 2,859 Dec 2,087 WWT Martin Mere 1,430 1,200 2,005 2,640 2,500 Nov 1,955 Cleddau Estuary 1,389 1,991 1,171 (1,347) (2,246) Dec 1,699 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Winter 2010/2011 in Northern Ireland Larne Lough 189 168 543 217 578 Jan 339

Green-winged Teal Vagrant

Anas carolinensis Native Range: N America

Singles were recorded at 11 sites in Britain

between November and April. These included long-stayers at WWT Caerlaverock (Nov-Dec),

Forth Estuary (Dec-Jan), Mill Dam & Balfour Mains Pools (Jan-Feb), and Solway Estuary (Feb-Mar).

59

Mallard International threshold (NW Europe): 45,000

Anas platyrhynchos Great Britain threshold: 6,800†


GB max: 133,775 Jan

NI max: 7,972 Oct

Figure 23.a, Annual indices & trend for Mallard in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 23.b, Monthly indices for Mallard in GB (above) &

NI (below).

The WeBS trend indicates that the number of

Mallards wintering in Britain has steadily declined since the early 1990s. However, the index appears to have stabilised in recent years, presumably at least partly in response to two cold winters; marked increases in the monthly indices for Britain in midwinter (December 2010 and January 2011) are certainly suggestive of an arrival of birds from the continent in response to the cold weather during that period. This concurs with the assumption that the recent downward trend for Mallard is primarily related to a drop in continental immigration (Sauter et

al. 2010). Alternatively, such conditions may also concentrate Mallard on larger wetlands that generally receive better coverage through WeBS, birds having been forced off smaller sites that are more likely to be frozen. However, ring-recovery data up to the late-1990s suggested that 75% of the birds in Britain and Ireland during the winter months were continental immigrants (Wernham et al. 2002) so the potential effects of a very harsh winter, such as

2010/11, are obvious. As documented in previous WeBS reports, the apparent fall in the UK’s wintering population contrasts with the breeding numbers which increased by 33% between 1984 and 2009 (Baillie et al. 2012).

The largest WeBS count in the UK during 2010/11 was from Lower Derwent Ings where 4,350 were present in December, considerably more than has been recorded at the site in recent years. Counts of 3,000+ were regular there during the 1980s and 1990s, and the historic maximum dates back to a high of 8,142 in March 1982 (when the species’ national abundance was at its peak). Maxima at the majority of the other most important sites, including Loughs Neagh & Beg (the only other site to have ever held 8,000+ Mallard), were more typical of recent years. Also notable was the highest peak ever from Cotswold Water Park (West) and the largest for several years from Loch Leven (most since 1989/90), Ellesmere Lakes (1979/80), and Inner Moray & Inverness Firth (2002/03).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

60

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Loughs Neagh and Beg 4,351 3,767 1,911 4,287 4,242 Oct 3,712 Strangford Lough (1,010) 1,950 2,177 2,125 1,630 Nov 1,971 Lough Foyle 1,036 830 965 995 1,079 Sep 981 Lower Lough Erne 551 702 (295) (226) 346 Oct 533 Belfast Lough (344) 457 447 419 299 Jan 406 Sites with mean peak counts of 2,000+ birds in Great Britain† Severn Estuary 3,661 2,954 3,091 3,086 3,334 Oct 3,225 Ouse Washes 2,606 12 2,918 12 (3,024) 3,336 12 3,182 12 Jan 3,013 The Wash 2,417 2,316 (2,586) 3,030 (1,886) Jan 2,588 Lower Derwent Ings 2,890 1,272 2,001 1,865 4,350 Dec 2,476 Morecambe Bay (1,837) (1,240) (1,926) 2,145 2,380 Jan 2,263 WWT Martin Mere 2,211 2,000 1,665 2,250 2,640 Jan 2,153 Clifford Hill Gravel Pits Consolidated 2,027 1,733 2,048 2,199 2,205 Sep 2,042 Humber Estuary (1,911) 2,166 1,644 2,417 1,799 Jan 2,007 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Loch Leven 1,620 1,261 1,178 675 2,169 Sep 1,381 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Winter 2010/2011 in Northern Ireland Upper Lough Erne 304 370 302 221 417 Jan 323

† as no sites exceed the British threshold, a qualifying level of 2,000 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in

this report

Chestnut Teal Escape

Anas castanea Native Range: S Australia

Singles were at Westport Lake (Aug) and Fen

Drayton Gravel Pits (Nov).

Northern Pintail International threshold (NW Europe population): 600

Anas acuta Great Britain threshold: 290


GB max: 19,655 Jan

NI max: 449 Feb

Figure 24.a, Annual indices & trend for Pintail in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 24.b, Monthly indices for Pintail in GB (above) &

NI (below).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

61

In 2010/11, numbers of Pintail in Britain were

at a similarly low level as the previous year when the annual index dropped to its lowest value for over thirty years. As recently as 2005/06, the species reached a historic peak; the reasons for a rapid change of fortunes are unclear. The monthly indices show that numbers were below average throughout the autumn and winter, not only during the freezing midwinter period that resulted in clearer effects on other species.

The relative lack of Pintail at WeBS sites in Britain in October and November would tend to suggest either a decrease in overall population size or a shift in core wintering range; also implied by an increase in The Netherlands in recent years (Hornman et al. 2011). If the latter was the case, the UK would perhaps have been expected to receive an influx of Pintails during

the onset of frozen conditions across northwest Europe in December. Alternatively, some of the UK’s normal wintering population may have moved southwards to Iberia or northern Africa.

Fifteen sites in Britain are of international importance. At the two most important sites, the reported maxima in 2010/11 were again lower than those which have typified recent years. The year’s peak count was from Solway Estuary where the December total of 4,262 was the highest for six years; the historic peak at that site relates to a count of 6,570 in December 2001. Fifteen further sites are of national importance; annual maxima at these were generally close to or slightly below average.

The index for Northern Ireland dropped in comparison to 2009/10, with Strangford Lough in particular supporting below average numbers.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Burry Inlet 4,692 6,244 4,058 2,750 (2,680) Jan 4,436 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 6,172 (4,334) 3,932 2,960 3,669 Nov 4,213 Morecambe Bay 2,609 (2,543) 2,593 3,186 2,830 Oct 2,805 Ribble Estuary (1,094) 3,639 2,178 (2,124) 2,074 Jan 2,630 Solway Estuary 2,429 1,047 (888) (977) 4,262 Dec 2,579 Duddon Estuary (2,317) (1,153) 2,481 (629) (1,209) Nov 2,481 Nene Washes 1,931 1,267 1,951 2,400 1,237 Jan 1,757 Ouse Washes 1,823 12 1,713 12 (1,697) 743 12 1,187 Feb 1,433 Mersehead RSPB Reserve 1,010 1,445 1,690 479 Feb 1,156 Loch Leven 217 213 1,554 12 1,396 676 Sep 811 Severn Estuary (1,161) 668 655 10 (494) 456 Nov 735 The Wash 1,215 652 (560) 294 (104) Jan 720 Medway Estuary (582) 663 (351) (353) (400)12 Dec 663 Dee Flood Meadows 916 750 196 227 1,060 Feb 630 ��

Somerset Levels 530 985 682 534 332 Jan 613 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Swale Estuary 731 597 630 381 521 Dec 572 North Norfolk Coast 753 697 10 421 437 503 Jan 562 Wigtown Bay 166 834 642 689 240 Nov 514 Blackwater Estuary (401) (201) (488) (203) (353) Feb (488) Pagham Harbour 566 (464) (447) 337 552 Feb 485 Lower Derwent Ings 656 674 298 278 405 Mar 462 WWT Martin Mere 580 380 380 550 294 Dec 437 Stour Estuary 467 303 486 10 345 10 449 Jan 410 Arun Valley 574 (322) 227 (142) (302) Jan 401 North West Solent 484 407 320 279 500 Jan 398 Traeth Bach 325 341 403 233 (151) Jan 326 ��

Alde Complex 441 447 276 281 154 Nov 320 Lindisfarne 445 327 (272) (200) 154 Oct 309 River Avon: Ringwood to Christchurch (456) 507 245 (274) 58 Jan 308 Cromarty Firth 205 (171) 287 (246) (420) Nov 290 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 496 395 449 487 301 Feb 426 Lough Foyle 123 157 185 112 156 Jan 147 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Orwell Estuary 753 8 158 125

10 170 10 85 Nov 258 Foryd Bay 330 152 360 12 160 190 Dec 238 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Inner Moray and Inverness Firth 314 232 236 211 305 Feb 260

62

Yellow-billed Pintail Escape

Anas georgica Native Range: S America

One was as at Cherwell Valley in August.

White-cheeked Pintail Escape

Anas bahamensis Native Range: S America

Singles were seen at four sites.

Garganey International threshold

(W Siberia and Europe population): 20,000

Anas querquedula Great Britain threshold: +†

All-Ireland threshold: +†

GB max: 45 May

NI max: 0

Being summer migrants to the UK, Garganey

are reported for the calendar year, here 2010. Records were received from 58 WeBS sites, a similar number to the previous three years. All were in England, with the exception of four singles in Scotland (all in spring) and one on the Isle of Man (in August). For the third year in a row, the species was seen in February, the herald of a spring passage involving records from 25 sites. Typically, highest counts were noted post breeding season; peaks of eight at Grafham Water (Aug), and three at both Maxey Pits (Aug) and Lee Valley Gravel Pits (Sep). The species was noted at four sites in October.

Thelma Sykes

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 4 or more birds in Great Britain Dungeness and Rye Bay 9 9 8 7 (2) Apr 8 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Summer 2010 in Great Britain Nene Washes (2) (5) 0 0 (8) Apr 3 Grafham Water 0 0 0 0 8 Aug 2 Chew Valley Lake 6 1 1 4 4 Sep 3 Stodmarsh 1 2 0 5 4 Aug 2

† as no British or All-Ireland thresholds have been set a qualifying level of four has been chosen to select sites for


Blue-winged Teal Vagrant

Anas discors Native Range: N America

Singles were recorded at Gilmourton Ponds

(Feb), North Norfolk Coast (Apr) and Chew Valley Lake (Jun). Three in a WeBS-year has been surpassed just twice before.

63

Northern Shoveler International threshold (NW & C Europe population): 400

Anas clypeata Great Britain threshold: 180


GB max: 11,104 Oct

NI max: 114 Nov

Figure 25.a, Annual indices & trend for Shoveler in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 25.b, Monthly indices for Shoveler in GB (above) &

NI (below).

Contrary to the longer term trend, the

national index for Shoveler in Britain fell for the second year in succession. It remains to be seen if this represents merely a temporary response to two cold winters, as might be expected. The monthly indices show the sensitivity of this species to frozen conditions; the marked drop-off in the number recorded at British WeBS sites in December being especially pertinent. It is likely that an influx of Shoveler into more southern areas of Europe, such as France and Iberia, took place at this time, but data from those countries are currently unavailable to be able to validate this assertion. Prior to these two relatively cold winters, it was considered that a greater proportion of Shoveler were wintering at sites in more northern latitudes in response to milder conditions. For example, the species has also steadily increased in The Netherlands over the longer term (Hornman et al. 2011).

Nine sites surpassed the threshold for international importance. Maxima at most of these were slightly below average, most notably at Somerset Levels where the peak of just 396 in

February was the lowest since 1996/97 and considerably less than the historic peak there of 2,190 in January 2003. The January 2011 total of just 242 Shoveler contrasts with an exceptional peak of Wigeon at the site during the same WeBS Core count; a good example of the different response of these two dabbling species to a period of severe weather. Among the regular dabbling ducks wintering in north-west Europe, Shoveler (along with Teal) has shown the most marked redistribution in response to recent climate change (Dalby et al. 2012).

Among the growing list of sites that surpass the threshold for national importance, the peaks at Chew Valley Lake (620, Oct), Minsmere (340, Nov), and Grafham Water (268, Dec) were especially notable. Elsewhere, evidence of a response to the onset of freezing conditions in December was also provided by the maxima noted during that month at several other sites in southern England, including inland at Chichester Gravel Pits and King George VI Reservoir, and on/near the coast at North-west Solent, Fleet & Wey and Eastbourne Park Lakes.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

64

In Northern Ireland, the trend showed a further decline in wintering numbers, typifying the recent situation there for Shoveler and several other dabbling duck species. The cold

weather conditions appear to have had a particularly profound effect in Northern Ireland during January.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Ouse Washes 696 12 1,071 2,039 503 1,186 12 Mar 1,099 Somerset Levels 1,520 1,806 971 713 396 Feb 1,081 Abberton Reservoir (152) 604 606 566 918 Sep 674 Breydon Water & Berney Marshes 540 12 754 570 12 546 12 568 12 Nov 641 Dungeness and Rye Bay 553 581 588 735 506 Mar 593 Severn Estuary 600 796 526 497 426 Dec 572 Rutland Water 495 620 525 773 323 Sep 547 Thames Estuary 524 (227) 486 355 (352) Mar 455 Medway Estuary (509) (156) 298 (51) (105) Sep 404 ��

Sites of national importance in Great Britain Chew Valley Lake 300 180 270 12 435 620 Oct 361 Ribble Estuary 532 188 478 271 346 Oct 363 Lower Derwent Ings 301 341 333 612 364 Mar 390 Swale Estuary (144) 331 (216) 459 291 Jan 375 Nene Washes 448 384 272 330 79 Nov 303 North Norfolk Coast 380 258 297 309 282 Nov 305 Stodmarsh 400 147 284 220 254 Oct 261 Alde Complex 441 295 260 156 161 Jan 263 Crouch-Roach Estuary (78) (259) 330 227 200 Nov 254 Fairburn Ings 226 54 304 453 123 Dec 232 Pitsford Reservoir 329 148 148 349 362 Oct 267 Burry Inlet 101 309 (283) 300 12 (61) Feb 248 Middle Yare Marshes (84) (174) (352) 174 (261) Oct 240 R. Avon: Fordingbridge-Ringwood 153 312 245 245 122 Oct 216 Tees Estuary 309 170 225 300 151 Sep 231 Tring Reservoirs 130 256 250 219 182 Sep 207 Trinity Broads (27) 338 162 (63) 220 Dec 240 ��

Llynnau Y Fali 135 59 419 213 208 Mar 207 Minsmere 218 138 157 171 340 Nov 205 ��

Arun Valley 278 217 215 197 208 Feb 223 Grafham Water 170 157 121 200 268 Dec 183 Cotswold Water Park (West) 222 176 12 251 184 87 Oct 184 Lee Valley Gravel Pits 164 184 145 222 229 Dec 189 London Wetland Centre 185 327 158 139 162 Feb 194 Loch Leven 279 205 192 80 273 Sep 206 Middle Tame Valley Gravel Pits (68) 111 270 (10) (10) Feb 191 Theale Gravel Pits 157 12 73 140 351 180 Feb 180 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 139 10 73 69 10 123 76 Dec 96 Loughs Neagh and Beg 34 90 57 32 47 Sep 52 Belfast Lough 15 28 49 31 14 Mar 28 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Blagdon Lake 542 137 76 41 45 Nov 168 Staines Reservoirs 149 65 232 147 153 Dec 149 Morecambe Bay 174 22 326 38 38 Dec 160 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Chichester Gravel Pits (67) 78 (185) 128 291 Dec 171 King George VI Reservoir 40 26 42 61 290 Dec 92 Norh West Solent 152 108 125 131 255 Dec 154 Fleet and Wey 137 193 152 105 247 Dec 167 Colne Fen Gravel Pits 29 6 22 68 197 12 Sep 64 North Warren & Thorpeness Mere 151 171 92 175 194 Jan 157 Aqualate Mere 49 164 58 135 188 Oct 119 Eastbourne Park Lakes 38 48 (69) (65) 186 Feb 91

65

Ringed Teal Escape

Callonetta leucophrys Native Range: S America

Two were at Rumworth Lodge Reservoir in

July and one was on River Lune in September.

Red-crested Pochard Naturalised introduction and vagrant

Netta rufina Native range: S & E Europe

GB max: 470 Nov

NI max: 0

Red-crested Pochard is a patchily distributed

species throughout central and southern Europe. The majority of UK records, including those pertaining to the ancestors of the core of the population at Cotswold Water Park, are generally considered to relate to escapes. However, the species has shown a change in winter distribution in recent decades, involving a shift in range core from the western Mediterranean to the region north of the Alps and the use of a greater number of sites (Keller 2000), increasing the likelihood of wild birds reaching Britain.

In total, the species was recorded at 89 WeBS sites in 2010/11, exactly the same total as the previous year. These included two sites in Scotland (Castle Park and Loch Connell) and one on the Channel Islands (Les Mondrins GP).

In 2010/11, numbers reported from Cotswold Water Park were greater than the previous year and approached the all-time high noted in 2008/09. Although less rapid than the increase that has taken place in Switzerland (Keller & Müller 2012), Red-crested Pochard continues to steadily expand in terms of both population and range in England.

The species is now firmly established in the east Midlands and southeast England; the expansion away from the traditional stronghold exemplified by the WeBS maxima noted in 2010/11 at Sutton & Lound Gravel Pits (Nottinghamshire), Hanningfield Reservoir (Essex), Knight & Bessborough Reservoirs (London), and Thrapston Gravel Pits (Northamptonshire).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 10 or more birds in Great Britain Cotswold Water Park (West) 207 170

12 327 252 205 Nov 232 Cotswold Water Park (East) 106 72 104 91 194 Dec 113 Lower Windrush Valley Gravel Pits 26 (26) (36) (90) (32) Jan 42 Rutland Water 10 8 13 84 58 Dec 35 Sutton and Lound Gravel Pits 22 13 10 42 88 Sep 35 St James`s Park 22 32 25 Sep 26 Hanningfield Reservoir 17 10 11 21 33 Aug 18 Chimney Corner GP 17 17 Arnot Park Lake 16 14 9 9 6 Oct 11 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Cheddar Reservoir 0 1 0 21 16

12 Dec 8 Knight and Bessborough Reservoirs 0 0 0 0 16 Nov 3 Thrapston Gravel Pits 0 0 14 Dec 5 Hornsea Mere 0 0 0 1 14 Aug 3 Trinity Broads 0 0 0 0 10 Jan 2



66

Common Pochard International threshold

(N Europe population): 3,000

Aythya ferina Great Britain threshold: 380


GB max: 20,577 Jan

NI max: 5,075 Jan

Figure 26.a, Annual indices & trend for Pochard in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 26.b, Monthly indices for Pochard in GB (above) &

NI (below).

The trends for Pochard in both Britain and

Northern Ireland indicate alarming declines have occurred since the 1990s. In 2010/11, the annual index for Britain reached an all-time low, with numbers approximately half of what they were twenty years ago. The precise mechanism driving both this decline and an apparent shift in distribution towards central Europe is uncertain, but it may be related at least in part to a changing climate. Pertinently, a similar decline has taken place in The Netherlands (Hornman et

al. 2011), yet further east numbers have not fallen (e.g. Keller & Burkhardt 2011).

Pochard are very sensitive to frozen conditions (Keller et al. 2009). The monthly indices for Britain (and Northern Ireland) in 2010/11 show that numbers were particularly low in December during the onset of cold weather when the majority of freshwater wetlands were frozen. The species presumably responded similarly in other parts of Europe, and numbers are likely to have swelled further

south in the species’ wintering range (but no data are yet available).

In Northern Ireland, after a slight recovery in peak numbers during the previous year, 2010/11 saw the lowest ever monthly maximum reported from Loughs Neagh & Beg. As recently as 1990/91 over 40,000 birds were counted at this site. The decline is considered primarily attributable to the effects of eutrophication which may have impacted on the invertebrates consumed by Pochard and other diving waterfowl (Maclean et al. 2006, Tomankova et

al. in prep.). Across Britain, virtually all the other major

sites reported below average maxima, notable exceptions being Rutland Water, and both the Thames and Severn estuaries. The estimated international population size was recently revised downwards by 14% (Wetlands International 2012). Following the associated lowering of the threshold for international importance, Ouse Washes now qualifies as being internationally important for the first time.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

67

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Loughs Neagh and Beg 8,884 9,023 5,799 9,288 5,002 Jan 7,599 Ouse Washes 4,197 2,987 2,367 12 3,151 12 2,461 12 Feb 3,033 ��

Sites of national importance in Great Britain Loch Leven 3,666 1,650 4,326 1,281 1,300 Sep 2,445 Abberton Reservoir 3,167 2,355 850 1,134 1,306 Sep 1,762 Dungeness and Rye Bay 1,049 728 1,019 1,356 979 Aug 1,026 Chew Valley Lake 1,220 600 530 1,065 1,305 Nov 944 Fleet and Wey 879 980 718 674 921 Dec 834 Thames Estuary 484 854 588 714 (907) Dec 709 Middle Tame Valley Gravel Pits 296 783 1,042 (18) (11) Nov 707 Loch of Harray 532 468 454 1,184 754 Nov 678 Cotswold Water Park (East) 993 884 685 421 379 Dec 672 Severn Estuary 786 583 617 593 (734) Jan 663 Cotswold Water Park (West) (641) 553 568 639 489 Nov 578 Hornsea Mere 710 650 560 550 410 Mar 576 Cheddar Reservoir 443 80 230 435 1,215 12 Dec 481 ��

Lower Windrush Valley Gravel Pits 467 (409) (316) (312) (207) Feb 467 Loch of Boardhouse 623 441 665 312 71 Oct 422 Brogborough Clay Pit 645 147 Nov 396 Pitsford Reservoir 365 505 328 407 335 Sep 388 Hanningfield Reservoir 463 226 538 323 375 Dec 385 ��

Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Rutland Water 233 291 352 274 504 Dec 331

Ring-necked Duck Vagrant

Aythya collaris Native Range: N America

Ring-necked Ducks were recorded at nine

sites; Loch Gelly (Jul), Chew Valley Lake (Sep-Nov), Kirkby-on-Bain Gravel Pits (Oct), Bardney Pits (Nov), Nosterfield Gravel Pits (Dec-Jan),

Dornoch Firth (Feb), Bosherston Lakes (Feb), Talley Lakes (Feb-Mar), and Stithians Reservoir (Mar-Apr).

Ferruginous Duck Vagrant and escape

Aythya nyroca Native Range: N America, Asia

Ferruginous Ducks were seen at eight sites in

England. Records from Chew Valley Lake, where the species may have bred in recent years (Davis & Vinicombe 2011), included three present in October. Other records were from Minsmere

(Jul-Aug), Woburn Park Lakes (Sep), Wintersett & Cold Hiendley Reservoirs (Oct), Trinity Broads (Nov), Leathes Ham (Dec), Queen Mary Reservoir (Dec) and Lakenheath Fen (Feb). Typically, some may have been escapees.

Tufted Duck International threshold

(NW Europe population): 12,000

Aythya fuligula Great Britain threshold: 1,100


GB max: 61,795 Jan

NI max: 11,379 Feb

Annual maxima and indices for Tufted Duck in

Britain have exhibited a shallow increase over the course of the last forty years. In northern Europe, the species has responded strongly to climate change, with wintering numbers in Scandinavia having increased exponentially in the last three decades in response to ice-free conditions (Lehikoinen et al. in prep.). No strong

response was detected in Britain in 2010/11 despite freezing midwinter conditions that prevailed across north-west Europe in November, December and January. However, a marked increase in numbers in Northern Ireland during February 2011 may be linked, to some degree, to a shift in distribution in response to weather conditions during winter 2010/11.

68

Figure 27.a, Annual indices & trend for Tufted Duck in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 27.b, Monthly indices for Tufted Duck in GB


In 2010/11, the peak at Rutland Water was

consistent with the recent average but that at Abberton Reservoir was the lowest for four years. The associated drop in five-year average at Abberton means the site is leap-frogged by Loch Leven in the table of sites below, where the peak of 6,455 in September was the most ever seen there. Among the ten further sites that surpass the threshold for national importance, Ouse Washes yielded its lowest maximum for seven years. In contrast, the October peak at Chew Valley Lake, where waterbirds have been monitored for over 50 years, was the most ever.

In Northern Ireland, the February peak of 8,078 at Loughs Neagh & Beg was consistent with the previous year. In common with other diving ducks, a sharp drop in numbers of Tufted Ducks took place at the site from 2001/02 onwards, but recent colder winters appear to have resulted in a degree of stability in the Northern Irish trend. The record WeBS count of 29,393 dates back to December 1989. In contrast, continuing the trend of recent years the maximum at Upper Lough Erne, 2,836 in February, represented a new high for that site.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Rutland Water 9,758 5,134 3,678 7,216 5,449 Jan 6,247 Loch Leven 3,553 4,140 3,610 3,601 6,455 Sep 4,272 Abberton Reservoir 1,187 3,796 3,928 5,078 2,790 Sep 3,356 Ouse Washes 2,057 3,328 (2,978) 1,647 1,548 Mar 2,312 Middle Tame Valley Gravel Pits 1,243 1,766 3,372 (162) (68) Mar 2,127 Hanningfield Reservoir 2,194 486 3,269 2,275 1,596 Aug 1,964 Chew Valley Lake 1,325 1,480 1,350 1,480 2,420 Oct 1,611 Walthamstow Reservoirs 1,516 900 2,103 1,873 12 Jul 1,598 Grafham Water 521 1,464 1,591 2,242 1,815 Dec 1,527 Lee Valley Gravel Pits 1,215 1,231 1,519 1,673 1,565 Nov 1,441 Cotswold Water Park (West) 1,372 1,343 1,354 1,541 1,445 Mar 1,411 Pitsford Reservoir 1,374 774 1,654 1,749 1,164 Aug 1,343 Staines Reservoirs 1,865 1,074 1,097 730 1,097 Aug 1,173

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

69

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Loughs Neagh and Beg 6,441 6,076 5,126 8,968 8,078 Feb 6,938 Upper Lough Erne 1,478 1,772 1,895 2,240 2,836 Feb 2,044 Lower Lough Erne 705 638 (183) (201) (455) Jan 672 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Woolston Eyes 377 370 580 392 2,600 12 Jan 864 Sonning Eye and Henley Road GPs 886 649 879 1,533 Jan 987 Queen Mary Reservoir 6 372 65 186 (1,325) Dec 391 Loch of Stenness 351 597 250 112 (1,165) Dec 495

Scaup International threshold


Aythya marila Great Britain threshold: 52


GB max: 1,831 Dec

NI max: 2,763 Nov *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

Figure 28.a, Annual indices & trend for Scaup in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 28.b, Monthly indices for Scaup in GB (above) &

NI (below).

Following a relative period of stability, the

WeBS trend for Britain indicates a shallow decline in the number of Scaup over the last seven years. However, as with all seaducks, there is an inherent susceptibility to the effects of bad weather and associated poor viewing conditions; interpretation of Scaup totals therefore needs to be undertaken with caution. This contemporary situation is in contrast to that prior to the mid 1970s when up to 25,000 birds were regular on the Forth Estuary. The disappearance of that aggregation was largely responsible for the rapid drop in the value of the national index at the time, occurring in

isolation from the stable trend elsewhere in the country. Parts of the Scottish coastline suffer from sporadic, incomplete, or indeed no WeBS coverage. For example, a supplementary count of 4,000 birds at Solway Estuary in January 2010 provides an indication of the potential numbers not routinely monitored through the survey.

Typically, the maximum WeBS Core count of the year emanated from Loughs Neagh & Beg in Northern Ireland. Up until 2009/10, the wintering population at that site had been on an upward trend considered to be associated with the recovery of the Icelandic breeding population. However, for two successive years

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

70

the peak total has now dropped below 3,000 birds. Only further years of monitoring will determine if Scaup at Loughs Neagh & Beg return to the level that saw the species become the most abundant Aythya duck wintering there in 2008/09.

Away from the key sites, notable maxima from northwest England included 70 at Dee Estuary (Jan) and 44 at Morecambe Bay (Dec). The peak count at an inland site (other than Loughs Neagh & Beg) was 15 at Rutland Water (Feb) where the species is regular in winter.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Loughs Neagh and Beg 4,349 5,587 6,335 2,997 2,254 Mar 4,304 Solway Estuary (1,060) (499) (257) (4,000)12 (1,113)10 Nov (4,000) Sites of national importance in Great Britain Loch Ryan 1,047 1,654 705 800 12 885 Dec 1,018 Inner Loch Indaal 810 21 870 21 485 110 Oct 569 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth 690 148 493 386 410 Feb 425 Cromarty Firth 401 (516) 363 262 510 Jan 410 Loch of Stenness 429 259 276 197 173 Feb 267 Loch of Harray 306 67 (67) 149 223 Oct 186 Dornoch Firth 222 280 108 174 37 Feb 164 Auchenharvie Golf Course 98 120 105 73 63 Mar 92 Montrose Basin 28 35 120 62 77 Nov 64 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Belfast Lough 849 10 1,895 1,334 10 1,950 (1,130) Nov 1,507 Carlingford Lough 225 177 85 62 57 Jan 121 Strangford Lough 70 90 103

10 2 1 Oct 53 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 No data: Firth of Clyde and Loch Ryan offshore Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 2 3 0 39 70 Dec 23

Lesser Scaup Vagrant

Aythya affinis Native Range: N America

First recorded by WeBS in 1992/93, Lesser

Scaup has featured in the annual report in virtually every year since then. In 2010/11, singles were seen at four sites: Cosmeston Lakes

(Jan-Mar), Dozmary Pool (Jan), Slimbridge, Severn Estuary (Jan-Apr) and Frampton Pools (Mar).

Common Eider International threshold


Somateria mollissima mollissima Great Britain threshold: 550


GB max: 17,258 Mar

NI max: 3,088 Mar

Common Eiders in Shetland form a closely

related group with those from the Faeroes and southern Iceland (subspecies faeroensis) (Furness et al. 2010). As a result, birds from this population are listed separately in the subsequent account, whereas Common Eider at other sites in Britain and Northern Ireland are documented here.

The British trend for Common Eider over the course of the last twenty years has shown a

consistent decline. Elsewhere in northern Europe, a large decline has also been observed in the Baltic/Wadden Sea flyway (Ekroos et al. 2012). A wide range of theories have been suggested to explain changes in abundance of this species in northern Europe, ranging from diminishing food supplies (Coulson 2010), climate change (Lehikoinen et al. 2006, D’Alba et

al. 2010) and thiamine deficiency (Balk et al. 2009).

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Figure 29.a, Annual indices & trend for Eider (non

Shetland) in GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 29.b, Monthly indices for Eider (non Shetland) in

GB (above) & NI (below).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Firth of Clyde 9,590 14 9,521 14 9,271 14 7,573 14 6,734 14 Sep 8,538 Tay Estuary (9,164) (7,500) 4,000 5,100 (1,450) Nov 6,441 Aberdeen Bay offshore 6,269 39 6,269 Inner Firth of Clyde 7,274 6,918 5,700 4,078 4,736 Sep 5,741 Forth Estuary 5,646 4,571 5,925 (4,210) 5,065 Aug 5,302 Morecambe Bay 3,374 (2,138) 5,534 4,248 6,151 Dec 4,827 Ythan Estuary (3,607) (3,140) 3,351 3,079 2,326 May 3,101 Gare Loch 2,782 14 2,782 Montrose Basin 2,584 2,321 1,099 1,555 1,983 Jul 1,908 Dee Estuary (Scotland) 1,229 1,411 539 (1,417) 983 Jul 1,116 The Wash 491 125 1,438 2,970 519 Jan 1,109 Lindisfarne (469) 619 (501) 1,074 962 Jun 885 Inner Loch Fyne 817 14 817 Loch Long and Loch Goil 796 14 796 Loch Ryan (385) 772 429 1,025 937 Dec 791 Gourock to Largs 755 14 755 Don Mouth to Ythan Mouth 538 (111) (132) (794) (133) May 666 Holy Loch to Toward Point 634 14 634 Moray Coast (Consolidated) 603 683 939 303 (223) Dec 632 Duddon Estuary (715) 513 525 480 725 Oct 592 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Belfast Lough 1,482 2,675 2,062 10 2,352 10 2,372 Mar 2,189 Outer Ards Shoreline 976 1,255 491 252 792 Jan 753 Strangford Lough 728 551 10 784 613 463 Sep 628 Lough Foyle 528 37 407 452 206 Sep 326 Larne Lough 76 48 106 86 70 Mar 77 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Lochs Beg and Scridain (East End) 270 240 (0) 638 Sep 383

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

72

Numbers reported from the two most important British sites provide continued cause for concern, for differing reasons. The Firth of Clyde held a peak of over 17,500 birds just ten years ago, but the population has since crashed; reasons for the decline are being investigated but have not yet been confirmed (C. Waltho, pers. comm.). Meanwhile, it is important that incomplete coverage of Tay Estuary does not allow another possible crash in numbers to

occur undetected. Elsewhere in Scotland, peaks in 2010/11 were reasonably close to the recent average at most of the sites with complete coverage. An exception was the Ythan Estuary, where the peak of 2,326 (May) was the lowest since 2005/06. Further south, in England, the maximum recorded at The Wash (519, Jan) was typical for that site following the higher peak counts in both 2008/09 and 2009/10.

Common Eider (Shetland) International threshold (Shetland): 85

Somateria mollisima faeroensis Great Britain threshold: 55

All-Ireland threshold: -

Furness et al. (2010) showed that Common

Eiders from Shetland form a closely related group with those from the Faeroes and southern Iceland; subspecies faeroensis. Therefore, since Calbrade et al. (2010), the WeBS annual report has listed the two discrete populations present in the UK separately.

Sites on Shetland that are monitored routinely through WeBS (most of which are small lochs rather than open shoreline) support

relatively few Common Eiders, with a monthly peak of just 28 birds (in July) noted during WeBS counts in 2010/11. Thus, for a more representative picture of their status, the table below largely comprises coordinated counts undertaken by SOTEAG during the winter.

Shetland’s Common Eider population has declined during the last forty or so years (Pennington et al. 2004, Heubeck & Mellor 2012), although causes are unclear.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean

Sites of international importance in the UK Bluemull & Colgrave Sounds 558 9 1,232 9 1,074 9 955 Burra, Trondra & Scalloway Islands 1,014 9 830 9 922 South Unst 601 9 450 9 526 Whiteness to Skelda Ness 179 9 178 9 201 9 169 9 Jan 186 Rova Head to Kirkabister 158 9 136 9 163 9 204 9 125 9 Jan 157 Sites of national importance in Great Britain South Yell Sound 54 9 35 9 68 9 70 9 57

King Eider Vagrant

Somateria spectabilis Native range: Arctic

King Eiders at Moray Coast (Jan) and Ythan

Estuary (May-Jun) were somewhat more typical records than the bird which lingered off Minsmere earlier in the WeBS-year (Sep-Nov).

Long-tailed Duck International threshold

(W Siberia & N Europe population): 16,000

Clangula hyemalis Great Britain threshold: 110


GB max: 1,011 Oct

NI max: 15 Mar

Following a huge reduction in the number

wintering in the Baltic Sea, Long-tailed Duck is now listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Skov et al. 2011, Birdlife International 2012) and the international population estimate has been revised

downwards by 20% (Wetlands International 2012). This trend mirrors the large declines also noted at key UK sites such as the Moray Firth.

Overall, the species was recorded at 100 sites around the UK in 2010/11, a typical total following a slight drop during the previous year.

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The largest count, another low peak compared to just a few years ago, was again reported from Moray Firth. The precise extent to which the recent drop in numbers may be a result of reduced coverage, or the influence of sea conditions affecting visibility and location of birds on the Core count dates, remains unclear. However, given the situation in the Baltic, it seems increasingly likely that this is a genuine decline.

Elsewhere, the highest counts were both in March; 174 at Forth Estuary and 250 at The Ouse/Lairo Water, the latter an indication of the numbers potentially present along the extensive stretches of the Scottish coast that are not regularly counted for WeBS. Away from Scotland, the highest counts were 33 at Lindisfarne (Jan) and 14 at North Norfolk Coast (Dec).

Ground-based counts are not ideal for this species as it has a tendency to remain some distance from the coast, hence the drawing of meaningful conclusions from the totals listed below tends to be fraught with difficulties and probably best avoided. Despite these caveats, there is little doubt that Long-tailed Ducks have declined markedly in the UK since peaking approximately twenty years ago. This has occurred at the same time as numbers using traditional sites elsewhere in the species’ European range have also fallen; for example the population within the Baltic Sea declined by 65% between 1992/93 and 2007/09 (Skov et al. 2011). Although a genuine decline in the species’ overall population size is likely to be a contributory factor in these observations, some degree of shift in range in response to climatic

amelioration might also be involved – but there is no current evidence for this. However, the effects of climatic conditions on seaduck distributions in Arctic waters can be profound (e.g. Grebmeier et al. 2006, Zipkin et al. 2010).

Glyn Sellors

There has probably never been a greater

need for regular and comprehensive surveys of wintering seaducks, divers and grebes around the UK’s coast. Such surveys would both assist in the estimation of abundance (e.g. Musgrove et

al. 2011) and provide detail on spatial and temporal distribution. In order to ensure that priority activities are clearly set out, a review of key knowledge gaps and information needs in the UK is being undertaken; this will incorporate recommendations for priority monitoring and conservation research. For a concise review of the situation and pressures faced by Long-tailed Duck and other seaducks in the Baltic Sea, see Gotland University (2012); available via http://seaducks.hgo.se/?q=node/14.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 50 or more birds in Great Britain† Moray Firth 10,878 1,904 (690) (759) (561) Oct 6,391 Loch Branahuie (Lewis) 430 39 430 Forth Estuary 220 163 146 (195) 174 Mar 180 Melbost Sands (Lewis) 121 144 1 610 18 Jan 179 Quendale to Virkie 201 9 152 9 177 Don Mouth to Ythan Mouth 0 (8) (25) (574) (139) Nov 149 South Yell Sound 100 9 164 9 132 Burra and Trondra 126 9 126 Rova Head to Wadbister Ness 69 9 91 9 145 9 98 9 Jan 101 Rubha Ardvule to Ardivachar (South Uist) 97 Dec 97 Loch of Stenness 107 130 89 50 77 Nov 91 The Ouse and Lairo Water 5 32 78 28 250 Mar 79 Burghead Bay From Burghead to Findhorn 15 70 62 136 Oct 71 Thurso Bay 200 30 26 20 32 Jan 62 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Water Sound 51 36 25 31 68 Feb 42 †as few sites surpass the British threshold, sites with mean peak counts of 50+ are listed.

74

Common Scoter International threshold (W Siberia & N Europe population): 5,500

Melanitta nigra Great Britain threshold: 1,000†


GB max: 19,588 Mar

NI max: 13 Nov *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

The UK’s Common Scoter population is relatively poorly monitored by WeBS. The total derived through WeBS Core counts is highly dependent on weather and the associated viewing conditions at the key sites at the time of the count. In addition, apparent increases or decreases at some sites may also be at least partly attributable to changes in counting effort. Therefore, in order to supplement information provided by WeBS, in this report we collate as much supplementary data (generally from aerial surveys) as possible. An extensive programme of aerial surveys in the last decade proved to be fundamental in improving the understanding of numbers and distribution of Common Scoter in UK waters.

The highest WeBS count in 2010/11 was an exceptional 15,000 Common Scoter present in

The Wash in March, considerably greater than the previous maximum recorded at that site through WeBS (4,089 in December 1985). This is presumably the same flock that tends to reside off the North Norfolk Coast, where the historical WeBS peak relates to a count of 8,008 in January 2002. Four other sites surpassed the threshold for national importance (currently 1,000 birds), including Carmarthen Bay, which is also of international importance and classified as a marine SPA due to the presence of such large numbers of this species.

Typically, there were also a small number of records of this species from scattered inland sites. These included three birds at both Haweswater Reservoir (Sep) and Hanningfield Reservoir (Apr).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Carmarthen Bay 14,412

28 6,189

28 22,930

29 43,000

29 34,049

29 Mar 24,116

Sites of national importance in Great Britain North Norfolk Coast 4,960 3,530 2,040 6,679 (5,379) Jan 4,518

The Wash 1,810 207 (641) 711 15,147 Mar 4,469 ��

Towyn to Llanddulas 1,800 1,600 (23) 2,076 6,170 Feb 2,912

Alt Estuary 3,288 850 310 2,920 1,171 Nov 1,708

Forth Estuary 623 936 1,103 2,808 462 Jun 1,186

Sites with mean peak counts of 500+ birds in Great Britain† Don Mouth to Ythan Mouth (36) 500 300 590 1,086 Sep 619

Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 2,009 297 141 168 400 Apr 603

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Dundrum Bay 1,637 1,637

Glyne Gap (533) 544 (480) 610 12 (440) Dec 577

†as few sites surpass the British threshold, sites with mean peak counts of 500+ are also listed.

Black Scoter Vagrant

Melanitta americana Native Range: N America

One was present between Seahouses and

Budle Point (Northumberland) in April. This is the first WeBS record since a drake was

recorded off Lavan Sands in three consecutive winters in the mid 2000s.

Surf Scoter Vagrant

Melanitta perspicillata Native Range: N America

Four WeBS sites hosted Surf Scoters in

2010/11: Fishguard Harbour (Nov), Dawlish Warren (Jan), Forth Estuary (Mar, May) and Loch Dhrombaig (May).

75

Velvet Scoter International threshold: 4,500

Melanitta fusca Great Britain threshold: 25


GB max: 783 Jan

NI max: 1 Oct *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

As is typical for most seaducks, numbers of Velvet Scoter can be difficult to monitor with results often dependent on sea conditions. Furthermore, monitoring of this species undoubtedly suffers from the relatively poor coverage along some parts of the Scottish coastline.

However, WeBS counts in recent years provide a clear indication that the wintering population of Velvet Scoters in the UK has declined. This is in keeping with large decreases observed elsewhere in the wintering range, particularly within the Baltic Sea (Skov et al. 2011). As a consequence, the international population estimate for Velvet Scoter was recently revised significantly downwards, by 55% (Wetlands International 2012), and the species is now classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Birdlife International 2012).

During 2010/11, Velvet Scoters were noted at 31 WeBS sites in the UK. The monthly peak of 783 in December represents a small increase compared to the previous year, but is still only approximately one third of the estimated British winter population (Musgrove et al. 2011). The maximum recorded during the year was 338 at Forth Estuary in March, typifying the decline noted there since successive peak counts of 1000+ during the early 2000s. The only other three-figure count received was 135 at Burghead Bay (Jan). A low total was reported from Moray

Firth, where as recently as 2002/03 over 4,000 were counted.

Typically, relatively few were seen away from the Scottish coast. However, a count of 67 at The Wash in May represents the most at the site since 1993/94. The historical maximum there dates back fifty years; 185 birds in February 1961. There were six inland records of Velvet Scoter between November and April, four of which involved singles at reservoirs in the Greater London area.

gray-images.co.uk

Improved monitoring of Moray Firth and

other sites which have traditionally been used by this and other seaduck species , is required in order to be able to effectively assess the respective species’ statuses in the UK. This is likely to be one of the key recommendations in a review of seaducks in Britain currently being undertaken.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Moray Firth 743 (74) (17) (62) (11) Feb 743 Forth Estuary 928 372 728 457 338 Mar 565 Lunan Bay 2 100 (240) (40) 67 12 Nov 102 Burghead Bay 7 (0) 150 135 Jan 97 Aberdeen Bay offshore 28 39 28 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain The Wash 2 (0) 2 (0) 67 May 24

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Common Goldeneye International threshold

(NW & C Europe population): 11,400

Bucephala clangula Great Britain threshold: 200


GB max: 12,564 Feb

NI max: 3,829 Feb

Figure 30.a, Annual indices & trend for Goldeneye in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 30.b, Monthly indices for Goldeneye in GB (above)

& NI (below).

In light of the steady decline in Common

Goldeneye wintering in Britain, the population estimate was revised downwards by 20% to 20,000 birds in 2011 (Musgrove et al. 2011). As with some other diving waterfowl of largely Scandinavian breeding origin, recent milder winters have led to a north-east directional shift in the core wintering range (Lehikoinen et al. in prep.). For example in Sweden, the estimated winter population rose from 18,800 birds in 1971 to 75,000 by 2004 (Nilsson 2008).

The monthly indices for Britain illustrate two distinct phases within the winter for this species. After below average numbers in December and January, there was evidence of an influx in February (perhaps associated with redistribution of birds following the freezing conditions prevalent over much of central and northern Europe in the midwinter period). Above-average numbers remained in Britain into March.

The steep decline in Northern Ireland has taken place since the initiation of routine monitoring through WeBS. In keeping with the

recent trend, numbers at the key site, Loughs Neagh & Beg, were below average; the monthly maximum of 3,388 (Feb) was the third lowest annual peak of the last ten years. Loughs Neagh & Beg were formerly of international importance for this species, but the long term decline there, with annual peaks of more than 13,500 in the early 1990s decreasing to the recent five-year mean of under 4,000 birds, means this is no longer the case. The decline of this and other diving species at the site has been well studied and seems most likely to be attributable to the effects of eutrophication (Maclean et al. 2006), and may well also involve impacts of climate change, as outlined above.

Away from Loughs Neagh & Beg, the maximum count during 2010/11 was 771 (Jan) at Forth Estuary. The historic maximum at that site is 5,063 in January 1973, where there was 4,864 as relatively recently as 1997/98. At other sites of national importance, peaks were close to or below recent averages, with the most marked declines at Firth of Clyde and Humber Estuary.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

77

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Forth Estuary 331 533 431 1,340 771 Jan 681 Loch Leven 517 302 683 415 692 Nov 522 Abberton Reservoir 478 332 299 413 556 Mar 416 Rutland Water 356 349 442 390 509 Feb 409 Humber Estuary 401 577 302 232 274 Jan 357 Tweed Estuary 174 246 245 182 306 Mar 231 ��

Morecambe Bay 191 (133) 290 242 196 Dec 230 Inner Firth of Clyde 249 452 12 148 130 136 Dec 223 Loch of Strathbeg 334 146 159 217 244 Nov 220 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Loughs Neagh and Beg 2,780 4,648 3,684 3,004 3,388 Feb 3,501 Belfast Lough (108) 226 233 (383) 184 Jan 257 Strangford Lough 83

10 237 181 139 471 Mar 222 Lower Lough Erne 169 267 (134) (110) (101) Jan 218 Larne Lough 97 89 84 (116) 114 Feb 100 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Loch of Skene 128 204 223 188 244 Feb 197 Windermere 271

12 242 223 12 103 86 Feb 185 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Loch Ryan 97 95 137 175 302 Dec 161 Loch of Skene 128 204 223 188 244 Feb 197 River Eden - Grinsdale to Sandsfield 75 111 91 131 221 Dec 126 Grafham Water 57 140 96 102 220 Dec 123 Blackwater Estuary 96 64 160 (119) (203) Nov 128

Hooded Merganser Escape and potential vagrant

Lophodytes cucullatus Native Range: N America

The long-staying drake was at Radipole (Fleet

& Wey) throughout the winter.

Smew International threshold

(NW & C Europe population): 400

Mergellus albellus Great Britain threshold: 2


GB max: 232 Jan

NI max: 3 Feb *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

The cold spell of weather in December 2010 to January 2011 led to an increased number of Smew in the UK, as birds fled even harsher conditions on the continent. Smew were seen across the UK at 103 WeBS sites, with typically the majority in England. Of course, it is worth noting that many WeBS sites will themselves have been frozen during the coldest period.

Several locations across Britain were graced by the species for the first time during WeBS counts. Sites in Cambridgeshire and the Midlands fared particularly well, with several holding all-time WeBS peaks. For the third year in a row, the highest count of the year was at Ouse Fen & Pits (33, Feb).

This cold-weather influx contradicts the recent situation, which up until 2009/10 had seen a reduction in the number of Smew wintering at sites in the UK. This has probably been in response to climatic amelioration and the trend for milder winters, during which period several species of diving duck have extended their wintering distributions in a north-easterly direction. This has taken place in response to newly ice-free areas of the Baltic Sea (Lehikoinen et al. in prep.); for example, in Sweden, wintering Smew increased from an approximate 400 birds in 1971 to 3,800 in 2004 (Nilsson 2008).

78

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Wraysbury Gravel Pits 19 16 (10) 12 (8) 12 (8) 12 Jan 18 Ouse Fen and Pits 0 12 14 27 33 Feb 17 Cotswold Water Park (West) 13 19 16 12 18 16 Jan 16 Dungeness and Rye Bay 18 21 11 (14) 10 Jan 15 Little Paxton Gravel Pits 4 12 2 17 23 Jan 12 Rutland Water 5 2 12 18 23 Dec 12 Lee Valley Gravel Pits 7 7 4 12 17 Jan 9 Pitsford Reservoir 4 (2) 5 7 15 Jan 8 Fen Drayton Gravel Pits 3 2 1 19 12 15 Dec 8 Eyebrook Reservoir 4 6 7 5 19 Jan 8 Abberton Reservoir 2 5 8 8 8 Dec 6 Thorpe Water Park 3 3 8 5 Jan 5 Longham Lakes 5 Jan 5 Wraysbury Reservoir 5 Dec 5 Bedfont and Ashford GPs 1 6 1 (8) 10 Feb 5 Blackwater Estuary 3 2 (1) 6 (3) 10 Dec 4 Sonning Eye & Henley Road GP 2 4 1 8 Jan 4 Ravensthorpe Reservoir 1 0 1 3 14 Feb 4 Minsmere 1 1 3 6 8 Feb 4 Nar Valley Fisheries Lakes 3 5 Feb 4 Tophill Low Reservoirs 5 12 6 12 3 12 (2) 2 Jan 4 Seaton Gravel Pits 1 6 3 (3) (0) 3 Walthamstow Reservoirs 10 0 0 3 Colne Valley Gravel Pits 8 4 1 1 2 Dec 3 Grafham Water 0 3 3 2 7 Dec 3 Longtown Ponds and River 1 0 3 5 6 Dec 3 Somerset Levels 0 0 1 4 3 Jan 2 ��

Twyford Gravel Pits 0 0 0 2 4 Mar 2 ��

Thrapston Gravel Pits (2) 1 Mar 2 Stanwick Gravel Pits (2) (2) Jan (2) Stewartby Lake 0 (3) 2 Meadow Lane Gravel Pits 0 1 4 Dec 2 ��

Pentney Gravel Pit 0 3 Jan 2 ��

Covenham Reservoir (0) 2 Oct 2 ��

Swithland Reservoir 0 3 2 1 2 Jan 2 ��

Holme Pierrepont GPs 1 0 5 3 2 Feb 2 Coombe Country Park 2 12 2 Tindale Tarn 2 0 1 2 3 Jan 2 ��

Castle Loch, Lochmaben 1 2 12 3 (0) (0) 2 Loch Leven 6 0 1 12 2 2 Nov 2 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Dorchester Gravel Pits (5, Jan), Lower Windrush Valley GPs (4, Feb), R.Avon (Fordingbridge to Ringwood) (3, Jan), Leybourne & New Hythe GPs (3, Jan), Hanningfield Reservoir (3, Dec), Ditchford Gravel Pits (3, Jan), Waterbeach Gravel Pits (3, Jan), Buckden & Stirtloe Pits (3, Feb), Yare Valley (Markingford to Bawburgh) (3, Jan), Tattershall Pits (3, Jan), R.Eden (Grinsdale to Stansfield (3, Dec), Southampton Water (2, Dec), Ruislip Lido (2, Feb), Colne Fen GPs (2, Feb), Ouse Washes (2, Mar), Deben Estuary (2, Dec), North Norfolk Coast (2, Jan), Besthorpe & Girton GPs (2, Mar), Sutton & Lound GPs (2, Mar), Draycote Water (2, Feb), Crockfoot Reservoir (2, Nov), Whittledene Reservoirs (2, Mar), Lochwinnoch (2, Mar), Kilmardinny Loch (2, Feb), Burghfield GPs (2, Dec), Langford Lowfield GPs (2, Dec)

Edmund Fellowes

Neil Calbrade

79

Red-breasted Merganser International threshold (NW & C Europe population): 1,700

Mergus serrator Great Britain threshold: 84


GB max: 3,252 Mar

NI max: 417 Nov *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

Figure 31.a, Annual indices & trend for Red-breasted

Merganser in GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 31.b, Monthly indices for Red-breasted

Merganser in GB (above) & NI (below).

The steady decline in numbers of Red-

breasted Merganser, which has been evident from the WeBS trend since the mid 1990s, has slowed in the last five years; following four years of stability in the period 2006/07 to 2009/10, the annual index dropped very slightly in 2010/11. It remains to be seen what will transpire for this species in the years ahead, as there appear to be contrasting trends to the east of the UK.

In the last thirty to forty years, wintering numbers have increased steadily in some areas, for example in Sweden (Nilsson 2008) and The Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2012). This is suggestive of a range shift perhaps induced by climate change. However, it is now clear that a large decrease has occurred in the Baltic Sea (Skov et al. 2011), implying a drop in overall population size.

The decline of this species, and other seaducks, in the UK and elsewhere has developed into an issue of real concern and

therefore should become a higher priority issue for researchers and conservationists.

For the first time, Fleet & Wey became the most important WeBS site in Britain for this species. Peak numbers have been largely stable there in recent years, and that site’s promotion is just as much related to the decline that has taken place at Forth Estuary in recent years. The maximum there in 2010/11, of just 223 in March, somewhat pales into insignificance when compared to counts from the past; the historic peak is an exceptional 4,290 in January 1969, while 750+ were noted as recently as March 2004. Peak counts at most other sites which surpass the threshold for national importance were close to or below average, a notable exception being Blackwater Estuary where 142 (Mar) represents the most ever recorded.

Numbers at sites in Northern Ireland in 2010/11 were also disappointing, with most of the principal sites hosting maxima that were below average.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

80

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Fleet and Wey 284 307 341 233 289 Jan 291 Forth Estuary 347 (261) 267 (316) 223 Mar 288 Moray Firth 211 366 (195) (246) (50) Dec 288 Poole Harbour (213) (117) (241) (120) (145) Jan (241) Chichester Harbour 217 211 157 253 213 Dec 210 Morecambe Bay (118) (239) 188 176 171 Nov 194 Inner Firth of Clyde 153 145 138 158 199 Aug 159 Langstone Harbour 159 169 114 180 10 137 Mar 152 Whiteness to Skelda Ness 134 9 192 9 156 9 83 9 Jan 141 Montrose Basin 135 99 113 192 (75) Apr 135 Sound of Gigha 57 10 (178) (150) Aug 128 Loch Ryan 106 100 101 136 184 Nov 125 Rova Head to Wadbister Ness 72 9 157 9 117 9 116 9 Jan 116 Jersey Shore 126 90 127 Feb 114 Duddon Estuary 106 123 92 141 102 Mar 113 The Wash 70 (53) (136) (73) 126 Mar 111 ��

Piltanton and Luce Estuaries 104 118 Feb 111 Exe Estuary 139 79 140 86 84 Feb 106 North Norfolk Coast 92 131 94 107 85 Mar 102 Blackwater Estuary 72 84 97 108 142 Mar 101 Lavan Sands 81 110 68 131 111 Mar 100 Stour Estuary 85 80 88 10 106 10 118 Mar 95 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 390 10 (282) (198) 257 213 Nov 287 Larne Lough 196 142 252 145 140 Feb 175 Belfast Lough 110 183 160 191 120 Oct 153 Lough Foyle (35) 99 125 101 120 Mar 111 Carlingford Lough 171 106 29 24 (35) Oct 83 Outer Ards Shoreline 108 38 45 14 22 Mar 45 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Portsmouth Harbour 97 78 (89) 90 59 Feb 83 Loch Lomond 8 54 240 68 42 Jul 82 Tay Estuary 57 10 103 (47) 75 34 Sep 67 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Lindisfarne 29 34 (55) 71 149 Aug 71 Inner Loch Indaal 37 114 Oct 76

Goosander International threshold

(NW & C Europe population): 2,700

Mergus merganser Great Britain threshold: 120†


GB max: 4,643 Jan

NI max: 4 Feb

Figure 32.a, Annual indices & trend for Goosander in GB. Figure 32.b, Monthly indices for Goosander in GB.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

81

Goosanders that winter in Britain are considered to be largely derived from the breeding population, although some in south-east England are likely to originate from overseas. This is likely to be particularly the case during cold weather on the continent when influxes can occur; as experienced during the winter 2010/11 and evidenced by an associated increase in the national index value for Britain. The monthly indices illustrate elegantly an influx of Goosander into Britain in January, with numbers remaining above average thereafter for the rest of the winter. A positive showing is again apparent in the summer months; evidence of the increasing British breeding population (Baillie et al. 2012).

The high supplementary count of 547 birds at Solway Estuary in January is presumably linked, at least in part, to cold weather displacement from frozen water bodies inland. This count represents the highest number reported at a single site through WeBS since 550+ were at Inner Moray Firth in 1994/95 and 1995/96. Further south, in lowland England where winter counts are more likely to relate to continental immigrants, counts at some sites provided

evidence of an influx. After an exceptional peak of 238 at River Avon (Fordingbridge to Ringwood) in November, a number of further above-average counts were registered at sites in January and February. These included 238 at Stretton Sugwas Sand Pit, 152 at Hartleton Water, 53 at Chelmarsh Reservoir and 51 at Abberton Reservoir.

Tommy Holden

As ever, the submission of roost counts of

Goosanders from all sites, in order to supplement Core counts, is welcomed.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Solway Estuary (29) (25) 50 (64) 547 12 Jan 299 Tay Estuary 313 (155) 232 (205) (152) Aug 273 Forth Estuary (119) (108) (68) (184) 225 Jun 225 Loch Lomond 261 36 217 161 153 Oct 166 Tyninghame Estuary 157 107 68 171 223 Jul 145 Tweed Estuary 123 42 85 205 186 Oct 128 Additional sites with mean peak counts of 70 or more birds in Great Britain† River Avon - Fordingbridge to Ringwood 53 43 92 101 238 Nov 105 Castle Loch Lochmaben 85 120 116 118 12 64 Jan 101 Montrose Basin 57 59 116 131 85 Jul 90 Loch Leven 39 151 68 12 97 83 Jan 88 River Tweed - Kelso to Coldstream 74 90 49 111 102 Oct 85 River Tweed - A1 Bypass to Horncliffe 84 Apr 84 Blithfield Reservoir 51 96 11 76 11 (100)11 Nov 81 Eccup Reservoir 82 70 60 41 135 Jan 78 Acre Nook Sand Quarry 47 11 77 11 85 11 122 11 36 Jan 73 Inchgarth Reservoir 0 48 47 149 122 11 Oct 73 Other sites surpassing national importance qualifying levels in Winter 2010/2011 in Great Britain Stretton Sugwas Sand Pit 0 18 20 28 160 Jan 45 Hartleton Water 0 0 9 152 12 Feb 40

† as few sites surpass the British threshold and no All-Ireland threshold has been set, sites with mean peak counts of 70+

are listed.

82

Ruddy Duck Naturalised introduction

Oxyura jamaicensis Native Range: America

GB max: 121 Oct

NI max: 11 Oct

Figure 33.a, Annual indices & trend for Ruddy Duck in

GB.

The Ruddy Duck has been the focus of a coordinated international programme to eradicate the species in Europe, as part of the conservation of the White-headed Duck (Oxyura

leucocephala). Despite maintaining a reasonably widespread

distribution, the British index has inevitably dropped sharply in recent years. In January 2011, there were estimated to be 150 Ruddy Ducks remaining in Britain (I. Henderson pers. comm., in Musgrove et al. (2011)). The peaks counts during the year were at Rutland Water (23, Dec) and Dungeness & Rye Bay (16, Jan), the latter one of a small number of sites where the maxima was higher than that of 2009/10.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 30 or more birds in Great Britain Abberton Reservoir 261 30 49 96 24 11 Oct 88 Staines Reservoirs 277 72 69 10 9 Dec 87 Hilfield Park Reservoir 263 83 31 12 4 Jan 79 Hanningfield Reservoir 276 45 36 9 9 Jul 75 Dungeness and Rye Bay 193 73 31 6 16 Jan 64 Carsington Water 101 132 17 25 9 Jan 57 Thoresby Lake 52 30 52 Chew Valley Lake (130) 17 65 19 11 Feb 48 Attenborough Gravel Pits 40 44 (56) (31) (8) Jan 47 Blagdon Lake 85 103 36 4 4 Nov 46 Mersey Estuary 85 6 46 Thames Estuary 79 73 40 22 10 Jan 45 Clumber Park Lake 66 82 22 8 (1) Jul 45 Pitsford Reservoir 102 41 40 24 7 Dec 43 Tophill Low Reservoirs 85 30 63 38 15 2 Sep 41 Wigan Flashes 73 30 55 22 6 (1) Oct 39 Brent Reservoir 85 46 30 12 15 Oct 38 Tees Estuary 111 13 36 8 0 34 Llyn Alaw 92 18 10 11 33 Holme Pierrepont Gravel Pits 106 38 8 0 2 Feb 31 Humber Estuary 59 30 (31) (14) 3 (1) Feb 31

Red-throated Diver International threshold: 2,600

Gavia stellata Great Britain threshold: 170


GB max: 638 Mar

NI max: 48 Jan *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

Although a localised breeder in northern

Scotland (Dillon et al. 2009), Red-throated Divers are widespread at coastal sites throughout the UK during the winter, with an estimated population of 17,000 in British waters (O’Brien et al. 2008).

In 2010/11, the species was noted at 150 WeBS sites, a typical showing, of which three currently qualify as being nationally important. However, large numbers occur further offshore, but surveys in these areas are not annual. For example, significant concentrations can be

Annual Index

Trend

83

reported from coastal areas of southern Britain, depending on prevailing foraging conditions; indeed the Outer Thames Estuary was designated an SPA due to its wintering numbers of Red-throated Divers. This aggregation is largely missed during WeBS counts, although large numbers sometimes occur within sight of land off Suffolk, Essex and Kent, depending on

conditions. The importance of south-east England was evidenced in 2010/11 by high counts noted at Glyne Gap (Sussex) and Pegwell Bay (Kent). Further north, numbers at sites in Scotland appear to be largely as expected.

There were no inland records away from northern Scotland during 2010/11.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Glyne Gap 126 (109) (343) 223 (181) Jan 218 Pegwell Bay 12 11 517 83 338 Jan 192 ��

Aberdeen Bay offshore 175 175 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Lough Foyle 13 53 81 128 19 Mar 59 Belfast Lough 22 67 20 (34) 21 Nov 33 Outer Ards Shoreline 64 22 12 27 31 Jan 31 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Minsmere 56 143 10 3 200 Mar 82

Black-throated Diver International threshold: 3,500

Gavia arctica Great Britain threshold: 6*


GB max: 78 Mar


Black-throated Divers were recorded at 50 sites in the UK during WeBS Core counts. Fourteen of these qualified as being nationally important. The premier WeBS site for wintering Black-throated Divers in UK continues to be Gerrans Bay (Cornwall); after an impressive peak of 124 birds noted there in 2009/10, this year’s maximum of 58, in March, was more typical.

As usual, most sightings of Black-throated Divers were in Scotland. The peak Scottish WeBS

Core counts this year, all during October-December, were 19 between Bay of Sandoyne and Holme Sound (Orkney), 15 off Arran, and 15 from Girvan to Turnberry. Improved coverage of the coastline of north-west Scotland in particular (such as that undertaken voluntarily by the RAF Ornithological Society each winter) would inevitably derive a truer picture of this species’ winter status in northern Britain.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Gerrans Bay 60 53 55 124 58 Mar 70 Loch Ewe 40 (11) (11) (33) (0) 40 Sound of Gigha 19 12 15 (8) Apr 17 Bay of Sandoyne to Holme Sound 15 19 Oct 17 Loch Slapin 28 26 13 26 1 18 26 14 Dec 15 Girvan to Turnberry 1 7 16 25 15 Dec 13 Loch Gairloch 14 (14) (10) 12 (4) Jan 13 Arran 1 (3) (4) 13 15 Nov 10 Little Loch Broom 13 (16) 5 0 (0) 9 Glyne Gap (9) (9) (10) 5 (3)12 Jan 8 Applecross Bay 2 13 9 7 8 Red Point to Port Henderson 8 (1) 6 (0) (0) 7 Gruinard Bay 6 8 4 13 2 Feb 7 Kilfinan Bay 11 5 3 4 12 Nov 6 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Sand Bay 4 6 6 5 Sites with mean peak counts of 2 or more birds in Northern Ireland† Strangford Lough 3

12 0 4 12 5

10 0 2

† as no All-Ireland threshold has been set, a threshold of 2 has been selected for presentation in this report.

84

Pacific Diver Vagrant

Gavia pacifica Native Range: N America

One was seen during the WeBS Core count at

Gerrans Bay in November. It, or another, was present off Cornwall throughout the 2010/11 winter (per birdguides.com).

Great Northern Diver International threshold: 50

Gavia immer Great Britain threshold: 25*


GB max: 215 Nov

NI max: 9 Mar *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

Great Northern Divers were recorded at 114 WeBS sites, a lower total than previous years. Following 2010/11, just two areas of the Scottish west coast monitored through WeBS (Sound of Gigha and Loch Na Keal) now surpass the threshold of international importance for Great Northern Divers.

Hence, further count data from sites along this stronghold of the Scottish coast are needed in order for WeBS to be able to illustrate the true status of this species within UK waters. It has long been true that dedicated surveys are required to effectively monitor wintering divers and grebes around the Scottish coastline, but it

is clear that this has never more been the case than now. At sites on the west coast of Scotland, this species can form significant aggregations at sites used for roosting (D. Shackleton, pers. comm.). Surveys at dusk therefore represent an opportunity to gather additional data for this species.

The peak counts received from Scottish waters during 2010/11 was 64 at Loch Na Keal. Elsewhere, the maximum in England was 20 at Gerrans Bay in February, another good showing for that location, comparable to those of recent winters.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Sound of Gigha 217

6 19 6 29 6 Oct 88 Rova Head to Wadbister Ness 36 9 31

9 113 9 45 9 Jan 56 ��

Sites of national importance in Great Britain Loch Ewe 53 58 28 47 (15) Jan 47 Loch Na Keal (0) 27 29 55 64 Feb 44 Kirkabister to Wadbister Ness 33 9 48

9 41 Outer Loch Indaal 40 Nov 40 ��

Loch Eriboll 36 66 16 36 (2) Feb 39 Gruinard Bay 37 68 29 35 21 Feb 38 Caernarfon Bay 68 8 40 28 Dec 36 Traigh Luskentyre 58 6 32 Quendale to Virkie 27

9 30 9 29 Loch Slapin 39 24 27 39 13 Dec 28 West Loch Tarbert 27 Nov 27 ��

Lochs Beg and Scridain (East End) 8 17 25 37 36 Mar 25 ��

Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Broadford Bay 15 19 16 48 13 Dec 22

No data since 2006/07: Luce Bay offshore; Coll, Tiree & west Mull offshore; Scarp to Vatersay offshore; Scapa Flow Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Whiteness to Skelda Ness 14 9 23 9 15 9 26 9 Jan 20 Loch Buie 11 7 13 25 30 Mar 17 Sites with mean peak counts of 5 or more birds in Northern Ireland† Lough Foyle 17 29 7 55 9 Mar 23 Carlingford Lough (4) 1 15 7 (0) 8


85

Great Cormorant International threshold (NW Europe): 1,200

Phalacrocorax carbo Great Britain threshold: 350


GB max: 17,591 Oct

NI max: 1,862 Nov

Figure 34.a, Annual indices & trend for Cormorant in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 34.b, Monthly indices for Cormorant in GB


Cormorants have increased steadily in Britain

and Northern Ireland over the past twenty years. This has been in part due to the expansion of the race sinensis, which is more typical freshwater of freshwater habitats, from the continent, both as a breeder and non-breeder; thereby supplementing the UK population of the carbo race. Recent years however have indicated an apparent levelling off in the Cormorant index for Britain, potentially in response to increased culling effort nationally. Further work is probably required in order to improve the understanding of the effects of these measures on Cormorant populations in

the UK. In Northern Ireland, the trend over the course of the last five years is a shallow decline.

In 2010/11, the peak from Dee Estuary surpassed that from Loughs Neagh & Beg for the third year in a row, and in doing so joined the Northern Irish site as one of international importance. The highest count of the year was from Alt Estuary, where the 1,459 noted in February is the most ever recorded there. Given the proximity of the sites, there may be some degree of exchange of Cormorants between the Dee and Alt Estuaries. Elsewhere, the 1,000+ threshold was surpassed at Morecambe Bay for the first time since September 2000.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Loughs Neagh and Beg 1,665 1,396 990 1,297 1,192 Sep 1,308 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 1,003 1,133 1,160 1,323 1,399 Dec 1,204 ��

Sites of national importance in Great Britain Alt Estuary 1,168 937 1,142 762

12 1,459 Feb 1,094 Morecambe Bay 641 937 669 814 1,047 Sep 822 Abberton Reservoir 342 639 1,157 565 854 Sep 711 Dungeness and Rye Bay 717 684 616 581 658 Jan 651 Ribble Estuary 316 504 600 515 10 928 Nov 573 Forth Estuary 653 477 (507) (483) 462 Sep 531

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

86

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Rutland Water 918 396 326 470 393 Sep 501 Ranworth and Cockshoot Broads 348 11 287 11 582 11 629 11 613 11 Mar 492 Solway Estuary 530 497 (406) (486) 442 Aug 490 Poole Harbour 374 254 (349) 457 (630) Oct 429 Walthamstow Reservoirs 640 433 395 247 May 429 Alde Complex 206 226 421 415 822 Feb 418 ��

The Wash 467 453 495 370 304 Aug 418 South Yell Sound 464 9 335 9 400 Thames Estuary 434 (211) 398 344 (268) Oct 392 Hanningfield Reservoir 500 215 600 245 279 Sep 368 Blackwater Estuary 200 279 (674) 380 237 Oct 354 Queen Mary Reservoir 88 295 211 406 (750) Dec 350 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 422 286 (443) 359 265 Sep 355 Belfast Lough 350 312 267 286 302 Oct 303 Carlingford Lough 230 142 98 381 (91) Nov 213 Outer Ards Shoreline 397 177 153 105 223 Nov 211 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Tees Estuary 329 378 306 284 241 Aug 308 Inner Firth of Clyde 875 11 104 229 112 131 Sep 290 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain River Avon - Fordingbridge to Ringwood (198) 135 184 217 529 Dec 266 River Avon - Ringwood to Christchurch (67) 73 52 (45) 461 Jan 195 Rostherne Mere 273 328 317 333 398 Jun 330 Ouse Washes 454 12 294 189 12 157 11 398 11 Mar 298 North Norfolk Coast 265 300 11 298 274 386 Jul 305

European Shag International threshold: 2,000

Phalacrocorax aristotelis Great Britain threshold: 1,100†


GB max: 2,777 Nov

NI max: 479 Nov

Figure 35.a, Annual indices & trend for Shag in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 35.b, Monthly indices for Shag in GB (above) & NI

(below).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

87

In 2010/11, the largest WeBS counts of Shags were in autumn/early winter; 496 at Forth Estuary and 400 Widewall Bay. In Northern Ireland, the peak count was 353 at Outer Ards Shoreline in January. In England, numbers on the coast were close to average, and there were a small number of scattered inland records.

The UK’s breeding population of Shags is well-monitored by the JNCC Seabird Monitoring Programme, results of which have shown a decline of 15% between 2000 and 2010 (JNCC 2011). However, wintering numbers are relatively poorly monitored; currently the table below is largely populated with data collected by SOTEAG in Shetland.

In contrast to the breeding trend, analysis of winter numbers based on WeBS data (presented here for the first time) indicates stability at WeBS sites in both Britain and Northern Ireland. Distribution of Shags in winter can affect subsequent breeding phenology (e.g. Daunt et

al. 2006), it being a species highly dependent on a particular food resource; the lesser sandeel (Ammodytes tobianus). The application of improved knowledge of winter distribution and enhanced robustness of the winter trends, both potentially attainable through improved WeBS coverage, could therefore be of conservation value.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 120 or more birds in Great Britain† South Yell Sound 1,065 9 886 9 976 Forth Estuary 719 (384) (456) (424) (496) Sep 719 Rova Head to Wadbister Ness 253 9 377 9 507 9 327 9 Jan 366 Widewall Bay 390 800 70 50 400 Nov 342 Burra and Trondra 332 9 332 Island of Egilsay 230 286 161 (380) Nov 264 Quendale to Virkie 102 9 418 9 260 Scalloway Islands 221 9 221 Sullom Voe 219 9 145 9 182 Kirkabister to Wadbister Ness 183 9 166 9 175 Island of Papa Westray 232 160 146 (190) 131 Oct 172 Moray Coast (Consolidated) 193 347 (132) 42 17 Dec 150 Loch Ewe 261 (98) 76 82 (75) Jan 140 Inner Firth of Clyde (150)11 104 108 108 150 Sep 124 Thurso Bay 170 70 262 12 106 5 Jan 123 Gerrans Bay 86 328 128 28 28 Sep 120 Sites with mean peak counts of 120 or more birds in Northern Ireland† Outer Ards Shoreline 284 317 437 334 353 Jan 345 Strangford Lough (291) (156) 247 (277) (265) Sep 270 Belfast Lough 191 10 107 90 10 139 10 116 Oct 129 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Kingsbridge Estuary 45 93 132 197 Oct 117 Winterfield to Catcraig 120 98 128 70 160 Sep 115 Anstruther Bay 73 40 55 25 137 Sep 66 Exe Estuary 5 10 40 0 0 125 Nov 34

† as few sites surpass the GB threshold and no All-Ireland threshold has been set, a threshold of 120 has been chosen to

select sites for presentation in this report.

Great Bittern International threshold: 65

Botaurus stellaris Great Britain threshold: 6

Bitterns were recorded at a record 99 WeBS sites in 2010/11, and a high monthly maximum of 92 birds in December was probably largely attributable to increased visibility of Bitterns when foraging for food away from frozen reedbeds. There may also have been an influx of continental immigrants. This total is set against the background of an increasing UK breeding population (Brown et al. 2011), and would also tend to suggest the number actually present in

the UK during winter 2010/11 may have been higher than the estimate of a minimum of 600 individuals (Wotton et al. 2011). Singles were widespread, while several sites also hosted multiple birds. The site maximum was an impressive 18 at Dungeness & Rye Bay (Dec). Elsewhere, at least four were recorded in winter at Testwood Lakes, Godmanchester GP, London Wetland Centre and Kenfig Pool; all sites that are traditionally favoured by Bitterns in winter.

88

Black-crowned Night Heron Vagrant and escape

Nycticorax nycticorax Native Range: Europe & Africa

Three were recorded in spring; at Thames

Estuary, Earlswood Lakes and Bainton Pits. This represents the most ever in a WeBS-year.

Squacco Heron Vagrant

Ardeola ralloides Native Range: Worldwide

One lingered at Cleddau Estuary from

October into November; the sixth WeBS record and first since October 2004.

Cattle Egret Vagrant

Bubulcus ibis Native Range: Worldwide

Cattle Egrets were recorded at six WeBS sites

in southern England during 2010/11: Colne Fen Gravel Pits (Aug), Dungeness & Rye Bay (Aug),

Severn Estuary (Oct), Kingsbridge Estuary (Nov), Ouse Washes (Nov) and Somerset Levels (Feb).

Little Egret International threshold

(W Europe & NW Africa): 1,300

Egretta garzetta Great Britain threshold: 45


GB max: 4,423 Oct

NI max: 63 Oct

Figure 36.a, Annual indices & trend for Little Egret in GB. Figure 36.b, Monthly indices for Little Egret in GB.

Having expanded both in terms of numbers

and range, the Little Egret is now a familiar sight at wetlands, both coastal and inland, throughout the southern half of Britain. Since 2006/07 the trend has reached a plateau, and the number of Little Egrets at WeBS sites appears to have levelled off and may now be even dropping slightly. At other sites in the wider countryside the species continues to expand, as indicated by

data collected for Bird Atlas 2007-11 (D. Balmer, pers. comm.).

The WeBS monthly indices show a negative response to the onset of freezing conditions in December, which affected the numbers present in subsequent months. The cold weather may have directly increased mortality and/or may have resulted in redistribution of birds to milder areas.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

89

At regularly counted sites, the September maximum at The Wash of 543 birds is in keeping with the recent average there, but somewhat lower than the last two years. The gradual expansion away from southern coasts continues; exemplified by promotion of the Ribble Estuary to a site of national importance where it joins

others in north-west England such as Dee Estuary and Morecambe Bay.

In Northern Ireland, where the species now breeds (S. Wolsey, pers. comm.), the maximum count in 2010/11 was 51 at Strangford Lough in October.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain The Wash 323 (319) 633 618 543 Sep 529 Thames Estuary 316 277 421 383 326 Oct 345 Dee Estuary (England & Wales) 132 12 163 258 12 315 12 303 12 Aug 251 North Norfolk Coast 193 272 12 258 281 12 245 Sep 250 Chichester Harbour 192 264 267 198 219 Oct 228 Blackwater Estuary (58) 245 221 (213) (167) Oct 193 Poole Harbour (84) (79) (136) (146) (115) Sep (146) Stour Estuary 143 102 102 184 166 Oct 139 Swale Estuary (72) (100) (109) 139 127 Oct 133 Jersey Shore 98 156 118 Jan 124 Exe Estuary 116 135 103 137 122 Sep 123 Lavan Sands 133 131 107 136 101 Sep 122 Crouch-Roach Estuary 102 100 83 104 170 Sep 112 Tamar Complex 97 (126) 125 70 97 Sep 103 Burry Inlet 86 87 156 99 79 Oct 101 Taw-Torridge Estuary 78 (121) 92 108 74 Aug 99 Severn Estuary 74 105 103 84 121 Aug 98 Hamford Water 135 95 70 (115) 74 Oct 98 Langstone Harbour 77 76 112 135 84 Oct 97 Breydon Water & Berney Marshes 71 12 126 12 114 12 81 12 85 12 Oct 95 Morecambe Bay 28 (24) 56 69 149 Sep 91 Cleddau Estuary (68) 120 (104) 69 61 Oct 89 Kingsbridge Estuary 89 67 91 90 90 Aug 85 Southampton Water 80 (24) (40) (67) (52) Aug 80 Carmarthen Bay 57 106 64 106 66 Sep 80 Portsmouth Harbour 96 111 49 11 51 (81) Oct 78 Somerset Levels 64 73 90 90 68 Feb 77 Pagham Harbour 90 63 67 95 70 Oct 77 Camel Estuary 80 74 88 83 57 Aug 76 Medway Estuary (32) (71) (75) (37) (69) Sep (75) Fal Complex 82 79 84 71 50 Sep 73 Humber Estuary (36) 41 95 51 68 Aug 66 Fleet and Wey 59 67 66 58 (39) Jul 63 North West Solent 53 56 61 52 69 Oct 60 Ribble Estuary (21) 31 50 86 (73) Sep 60 ��

Pegwell Bay 71 33 79 62 45 12 Sep 58 Grouville Marsh 165 4 1 57 Alde Complex 56 66 50 51 62 Nov 57 Dengie Flats 51 58 63 59 43 Oct 55 Newtown Estuary 52 41 41 71 12 (25) Sep 52 Colne Estuary 34 64 11 53 (51) (62) Nov 49 Deben Estuary 42 56 37 42 68 Sep 49 ��

Avon Valley: Salisbury-Fordingbridge 57 46 41 40 53 Jan 47 Guernsey Shore 42 41 49 53 (39) Dec 46 Dungeness and Rye Bay 45 28 91 33 29 Sep 45 ��

Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Ouse Washes 5 29 55 12 113 11 Mar 43 Leighton Moss 1 14 26 52 71 Aug 33 Orwell Estuary 54 (41) 28 29 64 Oct 44 Christchurch Harbour 46 32 (28) 43 47 Sep 42

90

Great White Egret Scarce

Ardea alba Native Range: S Europe, Africa, Asia, N & C America

Great White Egrets were reported from 18

WeBS sites; one fewer than the previous year. A monthly peak of ten birds was seen in January. During 2010/11, all records were from England

and most involved singles, although up to five were reported from Somerset Levels during the winter period.

Grey Heron International threshold (N & W Europe): 2,700

Ardea cinerea Great Britain threshold: 610


GB max: 4,178 Oct

NI max: 398 Nov

Figure 37.a, Annual indices & trend for Grey Heron in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 37.b, Monthly indices for Grey Heron in GB


Although increasing slowly in terms of the

breeding population (Baillie et al. 2012), national WeBS indices for Grey Heron in both Britain and Northern Ireland tend to show very little in the way of variation from year to year. However, there was a pronounced drop in the monthly index value for December in response to the frozen conditions, when potentially there may have been an increase in mortality rates.

In 2010/11, the monthly peaks in both Britain and Northern Ireland occurred during the autumn/early winter months of October and November, respectively, typical of recent years. Five sites held monthly peaks in excess of 100 birds, including the year’s largest count; 194 at Loughs Neagh & Beg. In Britain, the maximum of 167 at River Avon (Fordingbridge to Ringwood) represents the most ever there.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Loughs Neagh and Beg 225 173 147 208 194 Nov 189 Strangford Lough 95 10 138 10 92 111 89 10 Nov 102 Carlingford Lough 51 62 (34) (12) 14 Feb 39 Lough Foyle 42 44 42 30 36 Oct 39 Dundrum Inner Bay 36 41 27 34 40 Jul 36

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

91

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Belfast Lough (32) 43 35 39 24 Oct 35 Outer Ards Shoreline 35 24 18 31 52 Nov 32 Sites with mean peak counts of 70+ birds in Great Britain† Somerset Levels 143 135 161 122 112 Nov 135 River Avon: Fordingbridge to Ringwood 83 82 109 181 167 Sep 124 Avon Valley - Salisbury to Fordingbridge 114 144 92 118 97 Mar 113 Ouse Washes 55 12 143 199 39 123 12 Mar 112 Morecambe Bay 105 (38) 107 115 109 Jul 110 Forth Estuary 111 125 102 99 93 Oct 106 Thames Estuary 89 (91) (63) (110) (81) Aug 97 Coombe Country Park 107 106 81 50 78 May 84 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) (66) 73 67 97 61 Nov 75 Walthamstow Reservoirs 75 76 62 (23) Jan 71

† as few sites surpass the British threshold, sites with mean peak counts of 70+ are also listed.

Purple Heron Vagrant

Ardea purpurea Native Range: Worldwide

Four is the most ever in a WeBS-year, and

comprised singles at Dungeness & Rye Bay (Jul-Aug), College Reservoir (Apr), Mount Castle Quarry (Apr) and Wellington Gravel Pits (Jun).

White Stork Vagrant and escape

Ciconia ciconia Native Range: Europe, Africa, Asia

One was at Pegwell Bay in September.

Glossy Ibis Vagrant

Plegadis falcinellus Native Range: S Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, N & C America

Several Glossy Ibis featured during 2010/11,

continuing the recent positive trend. During the period of September to November, birds were seen at Avon Estuary (Devon), Otter Estuary,

Christchurch Harbour, Loughs Neagh & Beg, Cotswold Water Park and Ouse Washes. Later in the winter, one was at Dungeness & Rye Bay in January.

Eurasian Spoonbill International threshold

(W Europe & W Africa): 110

Platalea leucorodia Great Britain threshold: 1

Spoonbills continue to slowly expand in the

UK and were recorded at 29 sites during WeBS Core counts, with a monthly peak of 47 in August. All records were in England with the exception of four at Ythan Estuary (Scotland) in July and one on the Welsh side of the Severn

Estuary in June. Most counts were of one to four birds, notable exceptions being maxima of 31 at North Norfolk Coast (Aug), 14 at The Wash (Aug) and 14 at Poole Harbour (Nov). The only inland record was one at Blithfield Reservoir in June (a WeBS-first for Staffordshire).

Greater Flamingo Escape and possible vagrant

Phoenicopterus ruber Native Range: S Europe, Africa & SW Asia

One resided at Minsmere from April to June,

with presumably the same bird having been seen at Dunstable Wetland in January. These are

the fourth and fifth WeBS records, and the first since March 2004.

92

Pied-billed Grebe Vagrant

Podilymbus podiceps Native Range: America

One at Hollingworth Lake in November is the

ninth WeBS record. The previous eight were all during the 1990s, most recently in Norfolk in April 1999.

Little Grebe International threshold

(Europe & NW Africa): 3,900

Tachybaptus ruficollis Great Britain threshold: 160†


GB max: 5,276 Sep

NI max: 544 Oct

Figure 38.a, Annual indices & trend for Little Grebe in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 38.b, Monthly indices for Little Grebe in GB


Little Grebes are widely dispersed on small

water bodies, canals and riverine habitats throughout much of the UK. Thus, WeBS monitors a relatively small proportion of the total population and care should be taken if attempting to interpret national trends based on WeBS data alone.

Little Grebes slowly, but steadily, increased in Britain from the mid 1990s, soon after the species was first routinely monitored. Interestingly, this coincided with a similar trend in the Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2012). However, as evidenced by the annual index, there was a pronounced drop in numbers in Britain in 2010/11. Reasons for this may be linked to the frozen conditions which will have forced diving species away from traditional sites.

The cold conditions may also have increased mortality; pertinently, the monthly indices for both Britain and Northern Ireland initially dropped during the frozen conditions in January, and they appear not to have recovered by the spring implying negative effects on the local breeding populations.

The Thames Estuary is the only site to surpass the threshold of national importance in Britain. The monthly peak there (402, Dec) was similar to the longer-term average, but numbers at twelve further sites with a five-year mean of 80+ birds showed no clear pattern. In general, coastal sites held higher peaks than inland sites which is probably to be expected given the cold winter.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

93

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Thames Estuary 499 315 474 369 (402) Dec 414 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Loughs Neagh and Beg 278 396 318 410 391 Oct 359 Upper Lough Erne 106 53 78 46 120 Dec 81 Strangford Lough 80 79 76 10 94 73 Jan 80 Lower Lough Erne 78 50 (23) (50) (94) Jan 74 Lough Money 40 51 46 Portavo Lake 45 Oct 45 ��

Lough Foyle 28 28 26 35 16 Sep 27 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Larne Lough 20 27 16 23 10 Nov 19 Sites with mean peak counts of 80 or more birds in Great Britain† Humber Estuary 94 (150) (91) 102 (42) Nov 115 Chew Valley Lake 80 80 70 180 150 Sep 112 Rutland Water 67 93 116 164 120 Sep 112 Dungeness and Rye Bay 97 90 124 152 92 Sep 111 Crouch-Roach Estuary 44 81 115 146 152 Aug 108 Portsmouth Harbour (69) (69) 104 (68) (64) Feb 104 Hamford Water 87 84 119 120 97 Dec 101 Pitsford Reservoir 96 72 78 104 105 Oct 91 Cameron Reservoir 133 122 56 68 71 12 Aug 90 Severn Estuary 86 91 87 80 87 Sep 86 Blackwater Estuary 54 74 94 113 96 Oct 86 The Wash 88 113 66 62 (65) Nov 82 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Deben Estuary 82 50 60 64 102 Dec 72 Colne Fen Gravel Pits 24 42 64 91 12 80 12 Sep 60

† as few sites surpass the GB threshold, a threshold of 80 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report.

Great Crested Grebe International threshold (NW & W Europe): 3,500

Podiceps cristatus Great Britain threshold: 190


GB max: 9,312 Sep

NI max: 1,324 Oct *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

Figure 39.a, Annual indices & trend for Great Crested

Grebe in GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 39.b, Monthly indices for Great Crested Grebe in


Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

94

During the winter, Great Crested Grebes are found at both inland and coastal wetlands. At the latter, birds are often difficult to monitor accurately particularly when frequenting open sea and/or in unsuitable weather conditions.

Amy Lewis

After a slow increase in Britain up to 2003/04, recent indices and associated trend show a shallow decline, mirroring the situation in the Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2012).

In 2010/11, Dungeness & Rye Bay hosted the largest aggregation during the year. A total of

1,739 in February is the highest number ever recorded there, thereby just surpassing similarly high totals of recent years. It is possible that some of this group may have been forced on to the sea from frozen freshwater bodies in the area. However, this again provides evidence of the potentially increasing importance of the rich foraging available in the shallow waters at the east end of the English Channel, both for this species and others such as Red-throated Diver and Common Scoter. Also in south-east England, two very high counts were noted at reservoirs in the Greater London area in December; 611 at Wraysbury Reservoir and 676 at Queen Mary Reservoir, both WeBS maxima for these sites.

In 2010/11, Great Crested Grebes fared very poorly in Northern Ireland, where the two other most important UK sites for the species are to be found. Although the maximum at Loughs Neagh & Beg was fairly typical, that reported from Belfast Lough was very low. It is not known the extent to which this apparent decline and those at a number of sites in the region were attributable to the cold winter.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Dungeness and Rye Bay 880 12 (653) 1,492 (1,735) 1,739 Feb 1,462 Rutland Water 655 441 584 970 727 Nov 675 Wraysbury Reservoir 611 Dec 611 ��

Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 378 12 458 12 435 12 455 12 1,195 12 Jan 584 Chew Valley Lake 430 665 690 665 440 Aug 578 Grafham Water 471 132 471 525 486 Dec 417 Cotswold Water Park (West) 284 309 317 365 360 Sep 327 Pegwell Bay 48 110 300 585 12 585 12 Jan 326 Glyne Gap 213 (206) 515 224 (294)12 Jan 317 Stour Estuary 124 232 708 10 327 10 171 Nov 312 Queen Mary Reservoir 130 208 98 362 (676) Dec 295 ��

Swansea Bay 84 102 327 425 440 Dec 276 Southampton Water (47) (216) 375 206 220 Dec 267 Minsmere 57 1,210 12 5 4 15 Nov 258 Pitsford Reservoir 267 312 186 267 247 Dec 256 Bewl Water 188 183 224 195 274 Jul 213 Lavan Sands 329 260 124 106 236 12 Jan 211 ��

Stewartby Lake 207 Dec 207 ��

Loch Leven 198 141 157 12 266 190 Sep 190 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Belfast Lough 1,482 2,150 (1,156) 1,175 363 Nov 1,293 Loughs Neagh and Beg 959 1,191 752 959 1,035 Oct 979 Upper Lough Erne 206 171 197 174 69 Feb 163 Carlingford Lough 116 93 146 186 110 Dec 130 Strangford Lough 65 137 145 87 108 Nov 108 Lough Foyle 116 116 49 160 37 Oct 96 Larne Lough 84 105 81 61 37 Sep 74 Lower Lough Erne 123 55 (23) (34) 21 Oct 66 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Hanningfield Reservoir 200 30 128 118 221 Oct 139 Abberton Reservoir 41 95 111 91 219 Oct 111 Inner Firth of Clyde 120 135 190 (130) 207 Feb 163

95

Red-necked Grebe International threshold (NW Europe): 500

Podiceps grisegena Great Britain threshold: 1*†

All-Ireland threshold: ?

GB max: 9 Dec


Red-necked Grebes were recorded at 29 WeBS sites in Britain during 2010/11. Despite the cold winter, a peak monthly total of just nine birds was recorded in both December and January.

The fall in numbers of this species registered by WeBS in recent years is largely attributable to a long-term decline on the Forth Estuary, the principal site in Britain. The WeBS peak there this year was just four in September; as recently as 1994/95 up to 100 birds were noted there in

winter. Although it appears likely that the wintering population has indeed decreased on the Forth, it is also probable that WeBS counts do not effectively monitor the size of this population.

Elsewhere, all counts related to one or two birds at a scattering of sites, mainly in the south and east. The species featured at eight inland sites during the course of the year, including long-staying birds at Grafham Water, King George VI Reservoir and Avon Valley.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 2 or more birds in Great Britain† Forth Estuary (4) 12 10 51

47 4 Sep 19 Glyne Gap (2) (3) 4 12 2 (2)12 Dec 3 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Seahouses to Budle Point (1) 0 0 2 2 Jan 1 Avon Valley - Salisbury to Fordingbridge 0 0 0 0 2 Apr 0

† a qualifying level of 2 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report.

Slavonian Grebe International threshold (NW Europe): 55

Podiceps auritus Great Britain threshold: 11*


GB max: 252 Feb

NI max: 11 Mar *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

Slavonian Grebes were recorded at 103 WeBS

sites in the UK, including two in Northern Ireland. The British wintering population is now estimated to be in the order of 1,100 birds (Musgrove et al. 2011), hence all sites with five-year means of 11+ birds surpass the 1% threshold for national importance.

The count of 84 Slavonian Grebes at Inner Firth of Clyde represents the most ever reported there, and promotes that particular site to one of international importance for this species in the UK, alongside the stretch of the Shetland coast between Whiteness and Skelda Ness. The trend noted on the Clyde is probably associated with the increase in the number of Slavonian

Grebes of Icelandic origin now wintering in UK waters, which has also led to higher numbers wintering around Shetland and Orkney in the last decade (Harvey & Heubeck, in prep.). In contrast, numbers wintering on the south and east coasts of England have declined during the same period, probably linked to a decline in the number of birds of Continental origin wintering there, either due to a shift in distribution or overall population decrease. In England, the highest count of the year in 2010/11 was 10 at Gerrans Bay in December.

Inland, there was a typical scattering of birds on gravel pits and reservoirs during the course of the year.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Whiteness to Skelda Ness 77 9 73 9 Jan 75 Inner Firth of Clyde 40 73

12 49

12 47 12 84 Feb 59 ��

Sites of national importance in Great Britain Sound of Gigha 89

12 27 43 Oct 53 Rova Head to Wadbister Ness 36 9 49 9 61 9 Jan 49

96

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Moray Firth 50 41 (23) (6) (8) Dec 46 Loch of Harray 16 52 23 45 53 Oct 38 Loch Ryan 39 19 40 46

12 31 Nov 35 Scapa Flow 37 30 Dec 34 Loch Na Keal (0) 40

10 20 30 41

12 Feb 33 Ulva 26 9 26 Forth Estuary 25

10 18 29 25 16 Mar 23 Burghead Bay (Burghead to Findhorn) 5 (0) 26 26 Feb 19 Inner Loch Indaal 16 12 Nov 14 Broadford Bay 13 17 7 17

12 14 Dec 14 Loch Eriboll 4 21 5 20 (2) Feb 13 ��

Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Gerrans Bay 5 4 13 20 10 Dec 10 Loch Ewe 18 7 (5) 6 (1) Jan 10 Loch of Swannay 15 14 11 9 3 Nov 10 Lindisfarne (18) 4 9 7 7 Nov 9 Kirkabister to Wadbister Ness 7 9 7 Sites with mean peak counts of 4 or more birds in Northern Ireland† Lough Foyle 4 11 31 60 11 Mar 23 Strangford Lough 0 (0) 22

12 22 10 0 11

Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Jersey Shore 4 10 17 Feb 10 Pagham Harbour 3 13 11 3 15 Feb 9 Loch Leven 1 1 3 2 13 Nov 4 Loch of Stenness 11 12 7 5 11 Mar 9


Black-necked Grebe International threshold (Europe & N Africa): 2,100

Podiceps nigricollis Great Britain threshold: 1*†


GB max: 71 Dec


During 2010/11, Black-necked Grebes were seen at 65 sites in the UK, representing an increase in sites of more than 25% compared to the previous year. These included four sites in Scotland (where this species is traditionally very scarce), two in Wales and two in Channel Islands.

Two of the locations featured in the key sites table below have been kept confidential following advice from the Rare Breeding Birds

Panel and/or local counters. Each winter, birds can be reliably seen in

relatively consistent numbers at favoured sites on the English coast from Cornwall to Hampshire. This is in contrast to the situation in the Netherlands, where marked increases have taken place since the 1990s (Hornman et al. 2011). In 2010/11, higher than average numbers were present at Studland Bay and Fal Complex; the supplementary count of 80 at the former site may represent the largest aggregation of

Black-necked Grebes ever seen in the UK. It represents what has been a slow but steady recovery for this species in that area, following a major oiling incident in Poole Harbour in 1964 which more than halved the wintering population of approximately 50 individuals at the time (Green 2004).

Unfortunately, no WeBS Core count data were received for William Girling Reservoir during the winter period, but supplementary data from there indicate that it continues to be the most important inland site for wintering Black-necked Grebes. Double figure counts were reported from a further three sites, two of which were inland and probably featured breeding birds.

Away from the principal inland locations, counts of five Black-necked Grebes at both Sutton & Lound Gravel Pits (Oct) and Rutland Water (Dec) were notable.

97

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 5 or more birds in Great Britain† Studland Bay 20 47 23 47 37 47 38 47 80 47 Jan 40 Fal Complex (4) 5 32 17

47 52 47 Dec 27 William Girling Reservoir 26 32 26 28 25 47 Oct 27 Woolston Eyes (35) 17 26 22 11 Apr 22 Tor Bay 18 Jan 18 Langstone Harbour 24 12 5 16 22 12 Dec 16 Confidential Hertfordshire Site 9 12 18 14 21 Apr 15 Thames Estuary 4 4 4 38 0 10 Staines Reservoirs 9 9 7 11 3 Aug 8 Confidential Northumberland Site 10 8 6 0 9 Jun 7 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Fleet and Wey 3 0 1 8 5 Dec 3 Rutland Water 1 2 3 5 5 Dec 3 Sutton and Lound Gravel Pits 0 2 2 2 5 Oct 2

† a qualifying level of 5 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report.

Water Rail International threshold (Europe & N Africa): 10,000

Rallus aquaticus Great Britain threshold: ? †


GB max: 575 Nov

NI max: 4 Oct

Water Rails were recorded during WeBS Core

counts at 337 sites across the UK in 2010/11, a decrease of 12% compared to the previous year. However, the monthly maximum of 575 in November was considerably more than the peak of the previous year. Favoured sites tend to be those with reedbeds and/or an extensive network of ditches. The species is inevitably under-recorded due to its secretive, generally unobtrusive, behaviour, and as a result any

attempts to derive population estimates for this species are notoriously difficult (see Musgrove et al. 2011). However, the species can often become more conspicuous during periods of freezing weather such as that experienced in the UK in January 2011. WeBS maxima this year were 39 at Somerset Levels and 30 at Malltraeth RSPB, both in November, and presumably only represent a relatively small fraction of the total numbers present at both sites.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 10 or more birds in Great Britain† Somerset Levels 58 62 38 (33) 40 Nov 50 Thames Estuary 19 8 47 (25) (25) Nov 25 Grouville Marsh (10) 15 20 18 Severn Estuary 13 23 (26) 19 11 Nov 18 Malltraeth RSPB 11 15 10 25 30 Nov 18 Longueville Marsh (10) 15 12 14 Chew Valley Lake 5 22 31 8 5 Nov 14 Southampton Water 10 (20) 19 9 14 Dec 14 Rutland Water 10 10 24 12 10 Jul 13 Chichester Harbour 15 10 12 7 16 Dec 12 London Wetland Centre 17 16 12 10 4 Nov 12 Stanwick Gravel Pits Consolidated (16) (12) 8 Jul 12 Doxey Marshes SSSI 2 14 10 17 15 Nov 12 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 8 (24) 13 7 9 Jan 12 Dungeness and Rye Bay 10 7 8 14 14 Nov 11 Lower Derwent Ings 8 9 15 10 12 Jan 11 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Kinnordy Loch (0) (0) (0) 5 12 Dec 9 Langford Lowfields Gravel Pits 1 1 1 2 12 Nov 3 Ingrebourne Valley 8 10 Nov 9 Llangorse Lake 6 8 6 6 10 Nov 7 Lakenheath Fen 6 4 (1) 2 10 Nov 6

† as no British or All-Ireland thresholds have been set, a qualifying level of 10 has been chosen to select sites for

presentation in this report.

98

Spotted Crake Scarce

Porzana porzana

Two were at Stodmarsh in August.

Corncrake Scarce

Crex crex

Corncrakes were noted at two sites on the

Western Isles.

Moorhen International threshold (Europe & N Africa): 20,000**

Gallinula chloropus Great Britain threshold: 3,200†


GB max: 12,503 Nov

NI max: 274 Oct

Figure 40.a, Annual indices & trend for Moorhen in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 40.b, Monthly indices for Moorhen in GB (above)

& NI (below).

Moorhens are widespread across the UK and

occur in a wide variety of wetland habitats. The species is poorly monitored by WeBS, and it would require significantly improved coverage of habitats within the wider countryside to be able to evaluate it’s status in winter more accurately.

The WeBS trend indicates that numbers at WeBS sites in Britain have dropped off in the last couple of years. This is presumably associated with two cold winters, and only time will tell if this apparent decline continues in the years

ahead. However, it is indicative of an overall decline rather than mere displacement, and hence implies reduced survival.

Most of the site peaks in 2010/11 were in November, prior to the onset of the frozen conditions in December. Maxima were 322 at Severn Estuary (Oct) and 292 at North Norfolk Coast (Dec). Numbers at most of the main sites were below their respective five-year means, notable exceptions being the peaks at North Norfolk Coast and River Wandle.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

99

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 130 or more birds in Great Britain† Severn Estuary 546 1,003 (473) 359 322 Oct 558 Thames Estuary 367 (300) (406) (355) (205) Dec 387 WWT Martin Mere 438 485 (375) 330 172 Jan 360 Lower Derwent Ings 321 268 341 256 280 Mar 293 Ouse Washes 201 557 12 (420) 163 115 12 Dec 291 Somerset Levels 430 392 156 (281) 133 Oct 278 Pitsford Reservoir 389 241 126 304 213 Aug 255 Lee Valley Gravel Pits (300) 296 244 180 203 Sep 245 North Norfolk Coast 223 230 203 253 292 Dec 240 London Wetland Centre 218 203 229 200 180 Nov 206 Arun Valley 246 (195) 164 190 (165) Nov 200 River Wandle: Carshalton to Wandsworth

193 186 180 191 248 Dec 200

Rutland Water 157 219 152 285 186 Sep 200 Dungeness and Rye Bay 166 181 192 167 136 Dec 168 Medway Estuary 131 180 144 130 (27)12 Dec 146 Grand Western Canal 178 134 124 146 128 Aug 142 Stanwick Gravel Pits Consolidated (63) (147) 120 Feb 134 Cotswold Water Park (West) 117 (144) (116) 151 115 Nov 132 Sutton and Lound Gravel Pits 158 128 141 105 130 Nov 132 Sites with mean peak counts of 30 or more birds in Northern Ireland† Loughs Neagh and Beg 98 118 96 181 209 Oct 140 Upper Lough Erne 75 40 18 36 89 Dec 52 Belfast Lough 43 42 49 43 10 39 Dec 43 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Southampton Water 81 (114) 127 (86) 135 Dec 114 † as no sites exceed the British threshold and no All-Ireland threshold has been set, qualifying levels of 130 and 30,

respectively, have been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report.

Common Coot International threshold (NW Europe): 17,500

Fulica atra Great Britain threshold: 1,800


GB max: 114,436 Nov

NI max: 3,182 Jan

Figure 41.a, Annual indices & trend for Coot in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 41.b, Monthly indices for Coot in GB (above) & NI

(below).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

100

Coots wintering in the UK comprise residents

and immigrants from other parts of northwest Europe, forming a population of approximately 180,000 birds (Musgrove et al. 2011). 2010/11 provided further evidence of stability in this population, although there was a negative response to the frozen weather during the midwinter period. In contrast to the situation in Britain, numbers in Northern Ireland have declined markedly over the course of the last fifteen years.

Hence, when evaluated together, these trends are suggestive of a possible shift in distribution in response to climate, but this requires further study. In The Netherlands, the trend for Coot, although prone to fluctuations, has essentially been stable for thirty years (Hornman et al. 2012). Moreover, numbers have been increasing in other parts of northern Europe (e.g. Nilsson 2008), often in response to ice-free conditions during winter (e.g. Lehikoinen et al. in prep.). Such changes in the distribution of diving waterfowl in north-west Europe are probably linked to climate change which has led to ice-free conditions in parts

In Britain, several sites held above-average peaks in 2010/11. These included Loch Leven, Lee Valley Gravel Pits, Pitsford Reservoir and Grafham Water, the latter now surpassing the threshold for national importance. The traditional autumn peak at Abberton Reservoir reached 9,911 birds, which is slightly lower than the five-year site average and represents a drop of 19% compared to the maximum recorded in 2009/10.

In Northern Ireland, the monthly maximum at Loughs Neagh & Beg was the most since 2006/07, but still considerably less than the historical peak count of 8,848 birds in December 1992. In common with most other diving waterfowl at the site, numbers of Coot have dropped steeply at the site in recent winters. Similarly, the peak at Upper Lough Erne (the other site of All-Ireland importance) was higher than in recent years; a further indication that this year’s increases were probably associated with the frozen condition further east in Europe, and therefore evidence of the species’ potential to respond to climatic variation.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Abberton Reservoir (2,088) 10,046 9,270 12,188 9,911 Oct 10,354 Rutland Water 6,233 4,284 4,792 6,277 5,570 Dec 5,431 Cotswold Water Park (West) 4,001 4,013 4,803 5,330 5,074 Nov 4,644 Ouse Washes 1,834 6,229 5,865 12 4,053 3,810 Feb 4,358 Cheddar Reservoir 3,380 3,324 2,222 2,977 4,178 Dec 3,216 Loch Leven 2,820 1,317 3,350 3,560 4,642 Nov 3,138 Lee Valley Gravel Pits 2,417 2,979 3,331 3,318 3,507 Nov 3,110 Fleet and Wey 2,650 2,337 2,291 2,397 3,680 Jan 2,671 Dungeness and Rye Bay 2,421 2,280 2,162 3,123 2,964 Sep 2,590 Pitsford Reservoir 2,287 2,828 1,957 2,480 3,048 Sep 2,520 Chew Valley Lake 2,360 2,095 2,020 3,050 2,880 Aug 2,481 Cotswold Water Park (East) 1,835 2,134 2,248 2,050 1,820 Jan 2,017 Carsington Water 2,136 1,880 2,175 1,770 1,783 Dec 1,949 Grafham Water 1,454 1,628 1,796 2,252 2,006 Sep 1,827 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Loughs Neagh and Beg 2,371 1,813 1,236 1,546 2,281 Sep 1,849 Upper Lough Erne 1,696 1,072 1,093 1,051 2,077 Dec 1,398 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Blagdon Lake 1,400 2,323 1,403 970 678 Jul 1,355 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Chichester Gravel Pits 601 1,016 (624) 1,288 2,177 Jan 1,271 River Avon - Fordingbridge to Ringwood 2,012 1,607 1,453 1,757 2,051 Dec 1,776 Stodmarsh 904 1,369 1,350 2,310 1,969 Oct 1,580 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Winter 2010/2011 in Northern Ireland Lower Lough Erne 326 406 3 (34) (415) Jan 288

101

Common Crane Scarce resident

Grus grus

Cranes were recorded at five WeBS sites in

2010/11, with a maximum of five birds reported from two sites in Fenland. Elsewhere, singles

were at North Norfolk Coast (Aug), Montrose Basin (Aug) and Arun Valley (Apr).

Eurasian Oystercatcher International threshold

(Europe & NW Africa): 8,200

Haematopus ostralegus Great Britain threshold: 3,200


GB max: 246,014 Oct

NI max: 14,130 Jan

Figure 42.a, Annual indices & trend for Oystercatcher in

GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 42.b, Monthly indices for Oystercatcher in GB


Oystercatchers in the UK form part of a

population of the nominate race ostralegus, which breeds in north and west Europe, and winters in west Europe southwards to west Africa. Up until six years ago, the British trend for Oystercatcher was largely stable. However, since then it has become evident that this species is declining very slowly, mirroring the situation across the North Sea in The Netherlands, where Oystercatchers have declined at a faster rate (Hornman et al. 2012). The decline is especially pronounced at Scottish sites, and a slow decline seems to also now be apparent in Northern Ireland. In keeping with these trends, the estimated size of the ostralegus population internationally was

recently revised downwards by 20% (Wetlands International 2012).

There are eight sites in Britain where numbers of Oystercatchers surpass the threshold for international importance, and a further ten sites of national importance. A number of stories stand out from the table below. At Morecambe Bay, an exceptional peak of 82,288 was present in September 2010, representing the highest count of all time at a site in the UK (and some 13% more than the previous maximum of 72,653 there in October 2002). A notable count also occurred at The Wash during the frozen conditions in January; the total of 26,028 contrasting with a recent decline associated with human over-exploitation

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102

of the shellfishery (Atkinson et al. 2010). In Wales, Carmarthen Bay consolidated its position among the top sites for Oystercatcher with a peak Core count of 11,912 birds in November. The maxima at Solway Estuary and Thames Estuary were both below average, peaking prior to the onset of the cold weather in December –

at which point the monthly indices suggest a reduction in the numbers of birds present in both Britain and Northern Ireland.

In Northern Ireland, the two most important sites (Strangford Lough and Belfast Lough) both registered peaks which were below average.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Morecambe Bay 55,874 (41,199) 60,323 58,596 82,288 Sep 64,270 Solway Estuary 35,571 (31,091) (25,417) 23,890 21,323 Nov 27,969 Thames Estuary 27,836 26,905 33,659 24,278 20,494 Oct 26,634 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 15,808 20,922 32,820 10 25,886 21,993 Dec 23,486 The Wash 22,963 19,626 17,788 19,232 26,028 Jan 21,127 Burry Inlet 15,110 12 13,257 13,980 15,957 9,966 10 Jan 13,654 Ribble Estuary 10,872 13,148 (9,524) (8,518) (12,381) Oct 12,134 Carmarthen Bay 10,154 10 10,911 10 10,562 13,673 10 11,912 Nov 11,442 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Forth Estuary 8,235 7,230 8,046 (5,949) 6,164 Sep 7,419 Lavan Sands 9,587 5,783 5,611 6,129 5,919 Jan 6,606 Duddon Estuary 5,758 (4,251) (7,296) (3,444) (3,354) Jan 6,527 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth 5,099 8,003 3,883 3,547 3,875 Oct 4,881 Swale Estuary 3,762 4,106 3,293 (5,425) 6,819 Nov 4,681 Humber Estuary 2,942 (3,121) (2,746) 4,503 (6,104) Nov 4,516 Medway Estuary (1,005) (2,535) (4,160) (991) (2,285) Oct (4,160) ��

North Norfolk Coast 3,238 3,954 5,111 3,936 4,271 Nov 4,102 Inner Firth of Clyde 4,144 4,663 3,450 3,866 4,165 Oct 4,058 Swansea Bay 4,430 12 3,150 3,743 (3,850) 2,650 Oct 3,565 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 6,842 8,689 9,575 8,513 7,910 Sep 8,306 Belfast Lough (4,411) 3,580 3,624 3,798 3,374 10 Nov 3,757 Lough Foyle (2,347) 2,837 3,629 3,647 2,792 Oct 3,226 Outer Ards Shoreline 1,825 1,515 1,622 1,569 1,712 Jan 1,649 Dundrum Inner Bay 1,027 1,700 1,497 (1,635) 2,261 Feb 1,624 Carlingford Lough 1,552 (1,446) 1,529 839 (710) Jan 1,342 Newcastle Shore 1,331 1,331 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Wigtown Bay 2,058 2,363 (3,335) 2,407 3,379 Jan 2,708

Jill Pakenham

103

Pied Avocet International threshold (W Europe & NW Africa): 730

Recurvirostra avosetta Great Britain threshold: 75

GB max: 7,183 Oct

NI max: 0

Figure 43.a, Annual indices & trend for Avocet in GB. Figure 43.b, Monthly indices for Avocet in GB.

The wintering population of Avocets in Britain

comprises an increasing proportion of resident breeders with additional birds from the nearby Low Countries. The WeBS trend continues to illustrate an increasing population and the index value for 2010/11 equalled the high point reached two years previously.

Avocets were recorded at 70 WeBS sites in 2010/11, the most ever in a WeBS-year. These were all in England, including the Dee and Severn estuaries bordering England and Wales, with the exception of a single bird seen at Carmarthen Bay. There appears to have been no marked change in wintering numbers or distribution in response to the coldest winter for 35 years. Prior to the onset of the cold conditions, reasons for the drop in the monthly index for September are unclear.

Peaks at the six sites of international importance were above recent respective averages, most notably at Alde Complex where the 1,946 (Feb) represents the highest monthly site count ever submitted through WeBS. This count surpasses the previous maximum of 1,893 at Poole Harbour in February 2002. Humber Estuary now surpasses the threshold for international importance for this species, following high numbers in the autumn/early winter period for the second year in succession.

Jill Pakenham

An additional fifteen sites support nationally

important numbers of Avocet; the majority of these are in East Anglia, apart from Exe Estuary, Tamar Complex, and Ribble Estuary. At Tamar Complex, the annual peaks have been revised slightly (P. Reay, pers. comm.), in order to account for probable double-counting of mobile flocks of this species at the site (Reay & Kent 2011).

At Ribble Estuary, Avocet has been an annual feature since 2002/03; a strong illustration of the steady range expansion of this species in England in the last decade. This expansion has yet to include Scotland, where there have only ever been approximately ten WeBS records of Avocet, most recently in 2007/08.

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Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

104

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Thames Estuary 1,578 1,633 1,689 (1,702) (1,728) Jan 1,666 Alde Complex 1,383 1,465 1,419 1,373 1,946 Feb 1,517 Poole Harbour (1,303) 1,068 (1,131) (1,553) (1,361) Nov 1,283 Medway Estuary (1,027) (453) (791) (604) (1,048) Oct (1,048) Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 706 896 12 897 12 1,017 12 982 12 Aug 900 Humber Estuary 652 595 486 1,159 910 Oct 760 ��

Sites of national importance in Great Britain Hamford Water (629) 537 729 8 564 851 Nov 670 Colne Estuary 720 12 586 10 750 12 613 12 450 12 Sep 624 Blyth Estuary 660 889 369 576 (350) Dec 624 North Norfolk Coast 645 556 674 538 626 Apr 608 Swale Estuary (363) 447 (586) 654 602 Oct 572 The Wash 322 850 541 493 484 Jul 538 Blackwater Estuary 367 585 (508) 422 625 Feb 501 Exe Estuary 380 358 557 (440) 626 Feb 480 Deben Estuary 315 224 342 306 306 Jan 299 Stour Estuary 428 159 112 444 10 204 Nov 269 Tamar Complex 300 300 245 189 274 Dec 262 Crouch-Roach Estuary 22 135 11 213 139 343 Jan 170 Orwell Estuary 105 10 134 10 161 (124) (262) Jan 166 Minsmere 190 205 164 153 114 Jun 165 Ribble Estuary 76 110 71 111 68 Jul 87 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Severn Estuary 26 (76) 27 66 120 Nov 63 Dungeness and Rye Bay (59) (64) 60 64 (91) May 70 Ouse Washes 4 12 32 42 3 84 12 Mar 33

Stone Curlew Scarce

Burhinus oedicnemus

Stone Curlews were present at both ends of

the WeBS year at a site in eastern England, close to a known breeding location, with a peak of

seven noted in August. In spring, one was at Clevedon to Yeo Estuary, representing the 4th WeBS record for the Severn Estuary complex.

Little Ringed Plover International threshold (Europe & W Africa): 2,500

Charadrius dubius Great Britain threshold: ? †


GB max: 414 Apr

NI max: 0

In 2010, Little Ringed Plovers were recorded

at 167 sites during WeBS Core counts, including four sites in Scotland. The species was seen at ten sites in March, prior to a widespread distribution from April to July. Maxima occurred in July, notably 48 at Rutland Water and a supplementary count of 45 at Uttoxeter Quarry.

Both these counts are an indication of increasing breeding populations at those sites. A light autumn passage had largely concluded by the end of September, with the exception of single birds at Dearne Valley (Oct) and Blithfield Reservoir (Nov).

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 10 or more birds in Great Britain† Uttoxeter Quarry 16 45 46 Jul 31 Rutland Water 8 9 6 10 48 Jul 16 Nosterfield Gravel Pits 23 24 9 9 12 May 15 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Summer 2010 in Great Britain† North Norfolk Coast (4) 5 4 5 18 Jul 8 Belvide Reservoir 9 3 4 6 15 Jul 7



105

Ringed Plover International threshold

(N Europe, Europe & N Africa): 730

Charadrius hiaticula Great Britain winter threshold: 340


GB max: 15,997 May

NI max: 418 Jan

Figure 44.a, Annual indices & trend for Ringed Plover in

GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 44.b, Monthly indices for Ringed Plover in GB


Jill Pakenham

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

106

Britain and Ireland are of considerable importance for Ringed Plovers, providing winter refuges for British and continental breeders of the nominate race hiaticula, and passage sites for long-distance migrants of the tundrae race. The breeding population, comprising a large proportion of the nominate race, is in decline (Conway et al. 2008). The numbers of passage Ringed Plovers using UK sites in spring and autumn are much greater than those that remain in winter. Hence, virtually all the peak monthly counts from the principal sites relate to passage periods and arctic-breeding birds from Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Fennoscandia (Wernham et al. 2002).

The trends for wintering Ringed Plovers in both Britain and Northern Ireland have been declining steadily for over twenty years, and the

current situation for the species is now somewhat depressing. Given that the decline had previously been attributed to a shift of the core wintering range (Austin & Rehfisch 2005, Maclean et al. 2008), one might have expected a slight upturn in fortunes during 2010/11, when birds may have been forced to the UK from continental sites such as the Wadden Sea during frozen conditions. However, the national indices for both Britain and Northern Ireland fell quite sharply, to their lowest ever levels.

As was the case in 2009/10, the maximum WeBS count during the year contrasted with this overall downward trend in terms of wintering birds. The spring count of 5,974 at Ribble Estuary surpassed the previous record of 5,432 in May 2000, and therefore stresses the importance of UK for passage Ringed Plovers.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Ribble Estuary (1,016) 1,734 (2,931) (5,420) 5,974 May 4,376 Humber Estuary (783) (1,160) (781) 2,547 1,415 May 1,981 North Norfolk Coast 2,046 1,023 1,814 2,758 1,310 Sep 1,790 The Wash (1,127) 400 1,831 2,138 1,639 May 1,502 Solway Estuary (644) (402) (936) (1,644) 1,090 Apr 1,367 Severn Estuary 1,453 (364) 1,457 (982) 317 Aug 1,076 Thames Estuary 1,197 748 830 (733) (719) Oct 925 Swale Estuary (465) (294) (605) (830) (421) Aug (830) Sites of national importance in Great Britain Morecambe Bay 355 (428) 936 894 724 May 727 ��

Lindisfarne 581 (139) (224) (734) 815 May 710 Dengie Flats (127) 1,013 577 710 230 Aug 633 Forth Estuary 290 502 (875) 1,080 357 Sep 621 Blackwater Estuary 418 531 767 (689) (434) Aug 601 Barnkirk Point at Annan 535 12 535 West Freugh 512 Oct 512 ��

Stour Estuary 390 428 582 798 330 Sep 506 Tay Estuary 235 (170) 658 (611) (302) Aug 501 Crouch-Roach Estuary 816 594 349 419 316 Oct 499 Alt Estuary 257 515 515 416 648 May 470 Piltanton and Luce Estuaries 174 622 Sep 398 ��

Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 127 (551) 744 265 263 Sep 390 South Ford 743 400 300 118 Sep 390 Duddon Estuary (495) 200 525 407 195 Apr 364 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 278 10 227 10 277 10 288 10 (86) Feb 268 Outer Ards Shoreline 338 125 308 238 229 Jan 248 Belfast Lough 180 253 147 10 187 103 Oct 174 Carlingford Lough 247 154 (105) 54 (52) Oct 152 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Chichester Harbour 365 233 395 422 221 May 327 Taw-Torridge Estuary (223) (176) (298) (307) (291) Aug (307) Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Tyninghame Estuary 49 272 117 247 476 Aug 232 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 189 184 12 165 12 246 12 473 12 May 251 Hamford Water (328) 349 261 (220) (346) Sep 321

107

Kentish Plover Scarce

Charadrius alexandrinus

Singles were seen at Tyninghame Bay in April

and at the more typical location of Pegwell Bay in April and May.

American Golden Plover Vagrant

Pluvialis dominica Native Range: America

One was recorded at the Exe Estuary in

October; the 14th WeBS record.

Eurasian Golden Plover International threshold

(Iceland, Faroes, E Atlantic coast): 9,300

Pluvialis apricaria Great Britain threshold: 4,000

All-Ireland threshold: 1,700

GB max: 144,916 Nov

NI max: 4,600 Nov

Figure 45.a, Annual indices & trend for Golden Plover in

GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 45.b, Monthly indices for Golden Plover in GB


For the second year in succession the British

national index for Golden Plover fell sharply, exhibiting a profound response to a colder than average winter. Pictures are said to paint a thousand words, and the monthly indices tell the story of the winter for Golden Plovers in the UK. As in 2009/10, a typical British November for this species was followed by an entire winter period during which numbers were well below average. This was undoubtedly a consequence

of cold conditions having forced birds out of northwest Europe; a similar response was recorded in The Netherlands at this time (M. Hornman, pers. comm.).

Six sites continue to surpass the threshold for international importance for Golden Plovers despite the generally low maxima at WeBS sites across Britain in 2010/11. As indicated, all these sites (as well as most of a further dozen sites of national importance) yielded their respective

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

108

peaks during November. Peak numbers were lower than average at all the major sites, including Somerset Levels where, as in the previous year, the maximum was approximately one-third of the peak recorded in 2008/09.

In Northern Ireland, the fall in the national index was similarly spectacular, dropping to its

lowest ever level. All the major sites held their lowest peaks for many years. Interestingly, the monthly indices also indicate that arrival of birds in November was much reduced, unlike that in Britain. The reason for this apparent difference is unknown.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Humber Estuary 50,188 (23,526) (29,172) 30,352 (29,370) Nov 40,270 The Wash 31,350 19,643 40,588 25,628 (13,569) Nov 29,302 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 24,930 10 15,790 12 30,800 12 21,900 12 18,100 12 Nov 22,304 Somerset Levels 12,054 12,422 18,467 6,874 5,917 Nov 11,147 Swale Estuary 10,520 17,327 (7,407) 6,112 8,305 Nov 10,566 Blackwater Estuary (15,810) 5,703 (13,173) (4,224) (6,691) Nov 10,344 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Dengie Flats 5,520 4,520 11,070 8,500 7,000 Mar 7,322 Carmarthen Bay 12,700 10,420 4,244 3,569 521 Nov 6,291 Hamford Water (5,362) 10,228 7,234 8 2,284 2,050 Feb 5,449 Dearne Valley 8,700 3,000 5,000 5,000 3,000 Oct 4,940 Dungeness and Rye Bay 5,000 7,210 3,772 3,450 (2,402) Nov 4,858 North Norfolk Coast (4,552) 3,154 5,914 5,527 4,802 Feb 4,849 Lower Derwent Ings 10,600 5,433 2,500 4,124 976 Oct 4,727 Crouch-Roach Estuary (2,387) (6,696) 3,298 4,342 4,018 10 Nov 4,588 Ribble Estuary (3,950) 6,610 4,307 5,815 1,476 Nov 4,552 Solway Estuary 5,746 3,761 3,223 5,428 3,313 10 Nov 4,294 Nene Washes 8,500 5,650 3,500 1,600 1,790 Feb 4,208 Lindisfarne (3,236) (2,324) 4,228 (1,470) 4,045 Nov 4,137 Pegwell Bay 4,170 (5,500) 3,500 3,150 12 4,000 12 Nov 4,064 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 8,513 10 8,817 10 11,328 10 7,435 10 2,522 Jan 7,723 Lough Foyle 9,534 9,211 8,486 5,091 2,366 Oct 6,938 Loughs Neagh and Beg 6,475 7,712 7,337 4,687 2,658 Nov 5,774 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Morecambe Bay (3,429) (3,382) 1,716 (4,715) 2,838 Nov 3,216 Thames Estuary 4,817 4,267 2,129 2,014 1,646 Nov 2,975 Camel Estuary (3,000) 2,501 6,000 12 2,100 1,100 Nov 2,940 Ouse Washes 3,312 12 2,427 12 485 6,071 12 2,227 Nov 2,904 Otmoor 4,670 12 (1,080) (1,908) (1,250) 500 12 Feb 2,585 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Deben Estuary (1,558) (2,073) 2,718 2,272 6,449 Jan 3,813

Jill Pakenham

109

Grey Plover International threshold

(W Siberia & Canada, W Europe & W Africa): 2,500

Pluvialis squatarola Great Britain threshold: 430


GB max: 34,741 Jan

NI max: 83 Jan

Figure 46.a, Annual indices & trend for Grey Plover in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 46.b, Monthly indices for Grey Plover in GB


Grey Plovers breed in the tundra zones of Eurasia and North America, with the most important wintering areas in Europe being the southern North Sea coasts, other British estuaries, and the Atlantic coast of France. Additional areas in the Mediterranean basin, and along the coasts of West Africa, the Middle East and East Africa, are also used (Delany et al. 2009). It appears that the number of Grey Plover using Britain may have entered a period of relative stability. This follows a decade from the mid 1990s to the mid 2000s when the species declined steadily, having previously increased at an equally consistent rate for ten years up to the mid 1990s.

The recent decline occurred at the same time as a long-term increase at sites in The Netherlands, primarily the Wadden Sea, and was therefore attributed to a north-eastward shift in wintering distribution (Maclean et al. 2008). Interestingly, at the same time as the current levelling of the trend in Britain, numbers have

continued to increase on the Wadden Sea (Hornman et al. 2011), so it now seems more likely that these trends are not as closely linked as previously thought.

Seven sites surpass the threshold for international importance, one less than the previous year following the demotion of Stour Estuary, whose five-year average dropped just below the 2,500 threshold. The Wash and Dengie Flats continue to be the two most important locations for this species, and both held peaks close to recent averages. Based on the monthly maxima from the last five years of WeBS, approximately half of all Grey Plovers in Britain now occur at these two sites. Elsewhere, peaks at the other sites of international or national importance were typical, with the notable exception of the Ribble Estuary where the year’s monthly maximum was one of the lowest ever. This is in stark contrast to the historical high for the site; a spring total of 16,395 in May 2000.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

110

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK The Wash 9,750 7,455 11,734 (15,411) 10,223 Sep 10,915 Dengie Flats 7,239 11,940 10,669 9,550 9,058 Mar 9,691 Blackwater Estuary (4,819) (5,766) (2,083) (4,056) (2,186) Nov (5,766) Thames Estuary 5,700 2,970 2,801 4,734 4,286 Jan 4,098 Ribble Estuary 3,518 3,902 2,315 (4,463) 1,272 Apr 3,094 Humber Estuary 1,923 (3,770) (3,530) 2,738 2,218 Aug 2,836 Hamford Water (2,685) (2,658) (2,394) (2,246) (1,914) Nov (2,685) Sites of national importance in Great Britain Stour Estuary 2,355 2,329 10 2,003 10 2,910 2,618 Oct 2,443 ��

Lindisfarne 2,171 (989) 2,058 (512) (1,577) Nov 2,115 Alt Estuary 1,244 1,206 1,731 3,141 2,250 Feb 1,914 North Norfolk Coast 1,626 1,339 10 1,693 2,169 2,097 Sep 1,785 Swale Estuary (1,415) 1,631 (1,322) 2,003 1,207 Oct 1,614 Medway Estuary (467) (1,586) (1,331) (349) (767) Nov (1,586) Chichester Harbour 1,592 1,604 1,416 1,960 897 Sep 1,494 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 1,214 762 2,033 10 1,160 1,388 Dec 1,311 Pagham Harbour 902 1,269 1,059 1,329 1,215 Jan 1,155 Morecambe Bay (1,065) 747 994 1,073 616 Feb 899 Langstone Harbour 702 848 989 820 825 Jan 837 Colne Estuary 840 720 740 (726) (305) Oct 767 Jersey Shore 939 373 427 Feb 580 Beaulieu Estuary 640 545 526 519 (350) Dec 558 Crouch-Roach Estuary 816 292 526 474 482 Feb 518 Eden Estuary 400 590 558 173 743 Feb 493 Deben Estuary 342 (574) 509 516 482 Mar 485 Tay Estuary 215 381 520 340 903 Oct 472 ��

North West Solent 457 431 448 403 470 Nov 442 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 141 118 84 204 44 Feb 118 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Loch of Strathbeg 1,200 0 0 0 500 Nov 340 Pegwell Bay 360 (170) 269 400 12 466 12 Feb 374

Northern Lapwing International threshold: 20,000**

Vanellus vanellus Great Britain threshold: 6,200

All-Ireland threshold: 2,100

GB max: 268,020 Jan

NI max: 11,902 Jan

There was considerable variation in the maxima recorded at the three sites in the UK which are internationally important for Lapwing. The January total of 72,319 at Somerset Levels is the most ever there, and presumably represents a redistribution of birds from elsewhere during the harshest of the frozen midwinter conditions. The general assertion is that waders are forced towards the coast, at least initially, during freezing conditions. Therefore, the presence of such high numbers at Somerset Levels at this time was perhaps unexpected, although the area is not too far from parts of the Severn Estuary such as Bridgwater Bay.

Numbers wintering in the UK are known to vary in response to temperatures both here and particularly in continental Europe, as the population is supplemented by the arrival of birds from Scandinavia, eastern Europe and

Russia (Wernham et al. 2002). Hence, a marked response to the cold winter experienced across central Europe in 2010/11 was probably to be expected.

Although the monthly indices for Britain show a slight reduction in numbers during the onset of the cold weather in December, though by January numbers had recovered and were actually slightly above average. Did the birds depart from Britain and return, or were they temporarily displaced from WeBS sites to locations in Britain not monitored by the survey? Or does the increase in January represent a net influx of new birds from continental Europe; perhaps from The Netherlands where the trend for Lapwing has been stable over the last thirty years (Hornman et al. 2012)? Whatever the reason, the contrast between the monthly indices for Lapwing and Golden Plover is striking.

111

The latter species underwent a marked exodus from the UK during the frozen midwinter period in 2010/11, but in contrast, many of the major sites for Lapwing listed below actually yielded their maxima for the year during the coldest

period of the winter. Interestingly, in keeping with the exceptional inland aggregation at Somerset Levels, two other inland sites – Ouse Washes and Nene Washes – both recorded notable maxima at this time.

Figure 47.a, Annual indices & trend for Lapwing in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 47.b, Monthly indices for Lapwing in GB (above) &

NI (below).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Somerset Levels 38,388 44,457 31,928 19,683 72,319 Jan 41,355 The Wash 36,998 11,186 24,543 21,265 (14,490) Feb 23,498 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 17,620 12 19,700 12 38,700 12 19,820 12 16,955 10 Jan 22,559 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Morecambe Bay 13,484 (10,683) (17,535) (18,225) 19,079 Nov 17,081 Ribble Estuary 13,821 18,066 16,777 19,517 15,213 Nov 16,679 Humber Estuary (19,403) 16,500 11,700 12 13,581 (6,494) Feb 15,296 Swale Estuary (10,840) 23,479 (9,996) 8,744 9,009 Feb 13,744 Ouse Washes 13,026 11,222 (7,343) 7,340 12 19,530 Feb 12,780 Thames Estuary 17,270 8,728 (8,101) 9,246 (8,782) Jan 11,748 Pegwell Bay 17,000 12,000 8,260 10 10,000 12 7,740 12 Jan 11,000 North Norfolk Coast (11,560) 11,185 10,419 9,462 9,366 Jan 10,398 Severn Estuary 9,895 11,035 11,951 7,967 (4,455) Jan 10,212 Dungeness and Rye Bay 9,936 12,758 5,320 7,553 (3,992) Nov 8,892 Blackwater Estuary (8,160) 8,503 10,129 5,166 (5,954) Nov 7,990 Crouch-Roach Estuary 8,438 (9,255) 8,002 7,101 5,857 10 Nov 7,731 Fiddlers Ferry Power Station Lagoons 4,000 10,000 7,000 ��

Medway Estuary (5,184) 6,805 (5,325) (1,011) (5,110) Feb 6,805 Nene Washes 4,720 10,575 6,353 1,996 9,354 Feb 6,600 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Loughs Neagh and Beg 5,421 (7,720) 6,263 2,550 4,013 Feb 5,193 Strangford Lough 5,154 10 3,906 10 5,198 10 5,110 4,976 Jan 4,869 Lough Foyle 2,543 1,816 2,945 2,663 1,130 Jan 2,219 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 5,319 9,526 4,402 5,641 4,568 Jan 5,891 Solway Estuary (7,622) (5,128) 5,023 5,504 3,838 Nov 5,423

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

112

Red Knot International threshold (W Europe): 4,500

Calidris canutus Great Britain threshold: 3,200


GB max: 261,164 Oct

NI max: 1,898 Feb

Figure 48.a, Annual indices & trend for Knot in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 48.b, Monthly indices for Knot in GB (above) & NI

(below).

Although two sub-populations of Knot may pass through the UK, canutus (breeding in Taimyr) and islandica (breeding in northeast Canada and Greenland), it is assumed that all birds wintering in western Europe are islandica while the nominate race winters in Africa.

The British trend has been stable over the course of the last 25 years. Each year, numbers of Knot in Britain peak between September and December, following a general westerly movement of birds that have moulted at the Wadden Sea (which supports approximately 75% of staging birds (Wernham et al. 2002). WeBS-year 2010/11 was typical in that respect; the monthly indices illustrating a build-up during the autumn, culminating with peaks at both The Wash and Norfolk Coast in October. Thereafter, numbers during the main winter period were below average, probably in response to the cold weather conditions which may have forced birds out of Britain to sites further south in the wintering range, perhaps on the French coast for example. Numbers also fell in Northern Ireland, including a marked drop at Strangford Lough.

A recent recovery in Knot numbers on The Wash has followed a period of steady decline, and an overall change in waterbird assemblage, which arose from over-exploitation of the shellfishery stock and increased nutrient input (Atkinson et al. 2010). There were mixed fortunes with respect to maxima at the other 11 sites of international importance. Numbers at Morecambe Bay, Dengie Flats and Dee Estuary were more or less as expected, but below average numbers were reported from Thames Estuary. At the latter, however, the peak did represent a marked improvement on the low number noted there in 2009/10 (the lowest since 1985/86). At Ribble Estuary, the peak of 16,626 is the lowest annual maximum ever recorded at the site, and represents the low point of a long-term downward trend there; a historical maximum at Ribble Estuary dates back to September 1973 when over 102,205 Knots were logged. In contrast, the peak from Alt Estuary of 48,301 (Jan) represents significantly more than is typical there. The previous five-year average was just over 15,000 birds,

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

113

although 51,000 have been recorded in the past (January 1990). It is likely that there is significant exchange of birds between these two adjacent sites (and the Dee Estuary), and the site trends may therefore be linked.

Nine further sites surpassed the threshold for national importance, including Carmarthen Bay

for the first time. Typically, there can be considerable inter-annual variation in terms of annual peaks at some of the smaller estuaries, but the counts of 5,249 at Chichester Harbour and 2,024 at Eden Estuary, both in February, are perhaps two of the most noteworthy; the former being the most ever at that site.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK The Wash 135,889 (162,724) 93,957 180,572 119,192 Oct 138,467 North Norfolk Coast 22,928 11,239 84,812 83,003 73,662 Oct 55,129 Morecambe Bay (19,635) (24,544) 42,671 60,719 41,194 Feb 48,195 Humber Estuary (33,529) 41,772 (17,552) (37,088) (20,620) Sep 41,772 Thames Estuary 83,716 45,162 28,203 17,861 30,725 Jan 41,133 Ribble Estuary (41,681) 30,136 (45,400) (25,000)12 16,626 Apr 31,769 Alt Estuary 15,011 12,900 19,602 15,250 48,301 Jan 22,213 Dengie Flats 30,500 17,375 10,200 (18,960) 18,000 Jan 19,019 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 12,937 11,212 20,850 10 10,465 20,572 Dec 15,207 Solway Estuary (8,910) (14,385) (13,364) 6,006 (13,963) Dec 11,326 Strangford Lough 5,380

10 7,360 10 6,376 10 7,452 2,807 8 Dec 5,875

Stour Estuary 3,028 6,660 4,357 10 7,455 10 3,466 Nov 4,993 Blackwater Estuary 2,610 (3,492) (8,630) (4,032) (3,800) Dec 4,513 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Medway Estuary (550) (2,940) 4,304 (400) (4,485) Dec 4,395 Hamford Water 3,550 2,200 4,263 10 (6,250) 4,681 Nov 4,189 Swale Estuary 4,506 5,002 3,528 1,650 5,151 Feb 3,967 Severn Estuary (966) (5,510) 4,081 1,182 (1,021) Dec 3,591 Lindisfarne 1,475 (4,111) (4,150) (1,125) 4,330 Sep 3,517 Forth Estuary (3,542) 3,298 4,088 2,934 (3,558) Dec 3,484 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth 2,762 2,485 5,952 3,027 3,020 Jan 3,449 Burry Inlet 4,300 7,100 2,830 1,302 10 690 Nov 3,244 Carmarthen Bay 1,722

10 6,486 10 1,470

10 2,184 10 4,343 Dec 3,241 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Dundrum Inner Bay 100 2,560 1,023 1,200 22 Jan 981 Tyrella (495) (495) Lough Foyle 225 501 400 38 350 Mar 303 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Chichester Harbour 1,060 2,709 1,036 2,180 5,249 Feb 2,447 Dornoch Firth 1,400 2,500 1,731 4,315 4,772 Jan 2,944

Rob Robinson

114

Sanderling International threshold (W Europe, W & S Africa): 1,200

Calidris alba Great Britain winter threshold: 160


GB max: 11,827 Sep

NI max: 538 Oct

Figure 49.a, Annual indices & trend for Sanderling in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 49.b, Monthly indices for Sanderling in GB (above)

& NI (below).

Sanderling breed in the high Arctic and birds from both the Siberian and Greenland populations migrate south from northwest Europe.

In 2010/11, the British index fell slightly compared to the previous year, but the long-term trend remains positive. The increase in number of Sanderlings in Britain has occurred at the same time as a more rapid rise experienced in The Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2012). Similarly, following an unprecedented peak in 2007/08, the index for Northern Ireland has been at a high level in six of the last seven years. Lough Foyle again supported Northern Ireland’s largest aggregation of the year. The reasons behind these changes in national trends remain poorly understood, but may be linked to the temporal changes in the use of a network of key

sites in northwest Europe (Reneerkens et al. (2009).

Four British sites again surpassed the threshold for international importance based on the use of monthly maxima from throughout the WeBS-year. For the second year in a row, the largest count was from The Wash, where 3,469 (Sep) although considerably down on the 2009/10 all-time maximum, was still above average. The peak totals from Alt Estuary (2,523, Apr) and Carmarthen Bay (1,824, Nov) were typical, but that at Ribble Estuary (1,870, Mar) was the lowest maximum reported from there for over 20 years. The all-time spring and autumn peaks in the UK are both from Ribble Estuary, and relate to 8,737 in May 1992 and 9,450 in July 1972, respectively.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Ribble Estuary (4,690) 4,700 (4,800) (2,444) 1,870 Mar 4,015 The Wash 1,504 (1,430) 1,420 5,794 3,469 Sep 3,047 Alt Estuary 3,090 2,171 1,833 3,629 2,523 Apr 2,649 Carmarthen Bay 2,370 10 1,955 10 1,812 2,224 1,824 Nov 2,037

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

115

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain North Norfolk Coast 973 1,200 10 927 1,307 1,073 Sep 1,096 Humber Estuary (362) (706) (662) 1,194 419 May 807 Thames Estuary 870 689 951 587 897 Oct 799 Jersey Shore 831 739 720 Mar 763 Scuthvie Bay (110) 705 810 530 682 Morecambe Bay 332 (477) 532 624 705 May 548 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 370 762 778 280 474 Dec 533 North Bay (South Uist) 318 650 780 382 Mar 533 Lindisfarne 509 467 480 (433) (352) Nov 485 Duddon Estuary 623 12 (450)12 241 (490) (527) Jan 466 Solway Estuary 501 (455) 189 (450) (540) Nov 427 Thanet Coast 322 431 282 499 380 Dec 383 Swansea Bay 440 10 (279) 327 154 475 Dec 349 Rubha Ardvule to Ardivachar (South Uist)

346 Dec 346 ��

Severn Estuary (140) (29) 324 (45) (70) Dec 324 Forth Estuary 168 (387) (315) 404 (181) Nov 319 Tees Estuary 191 (193) (351) (353) (425) May 303 Ardivachar Point (South Uist) 350 267 372 184 Mar 293 Ryde Pier to Puckpool Point 200 310 292 (201) Sep 267 South Ford 218 300 400 129 Mar 262 Chichester Harbour 324 245 242 210 212 Sep 247 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth 197 243 (106) 188 263 Mar 223 Pegwell Bay 120 110 280 12 386 12 135 12 Nov 206 Taw-Torridge Estuary (183) (150) (176) 203 12 (180) Feb 203 Dungeness and Rye Bay 183 12 300 12 234 (178) 90 Jan 202 Don Mouth to Ythan Mouth (49) 132 (150) (361) 126 Jul 192 Tay Estuary 303 103 160 102 (200) Aug 174 South Hayling Seafront 150 180 140 200 Nov 168 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Lough Foyle (190) 879 925 488 518 Oct 703 Dundrum Bay 180 200 155 (0) (0) 178 Bann Estuary 251 69 108 148 89 Nov 133 Tyrella (73) (73) Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Durham Coast (88) (116) (75) (43) Apr (116) Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Afan Estuary and Port Talbot Harbour 0 12 240 21 246 Dec 104 Loch Gruinart 39 108 60 326 176 Nov 142 Ythan Estuary 8 (25) 173 (42) 175 Apr 119

Little Stint International threshold (N & S Europe, N & W Africa): 3,000

Calidris minuta Great Britain threshold: 1†


GB max: 76 Sep

NI max: 0

Little Stints breed through Siberia and west

into the northern extremes of Scandinavia, and typically winter around the Mediterranean and in Africa. The species was recorded at 44 WeBS sites in 2010/11, the majority between August and October. These included a maximum of 21 at The Wash in September, the highest peak

there for 15 years. The site has hosted an all-time WeBS maximum of 135 in October 1988.

A small wintering population, totalling less than ten birds, was noted at several widespread sites, including inland at Abberton Reservoir and Drakelow Gravel Pit. In spring, singles were noted at seven sites in April to June.

Sites with 4 or more birds during passage periods in 2010/11† The Wash 21, Sep Thames Estuary 10, Oct Severn Estuary 8, Oct Blackwater Estuary 7, Aug

Tees Estuary 6, Sep Hayle Estuary 6, Oct North Norfolk Coast 5, Sep Northwest Solent 4, Sep

† a qualifying level of 4 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report

116

Temminck's Stint Scarce

Calidris temminckii

One at Stodmarsh in August was followed by

five typical spring records, all in May, at Joe’s Ponds & Rainton Meadows, Tees Estuary, Wigan Flashes, The Wash and Pegwell Bay.

Baird's Sandpiper Vagrant

Calidris bairdii Native Range: America

One at Holland Marshes in October was the

18th WeBS record.

Pectoral Sandpiper Vagrant

Calidris melanotos Native Range: America, N Siberia, Australia

Pectoral Sandpipers were noted at 14 sites,

typically with the majority in autumn. This total represents the most in a WeBS-year since 2003/04. Following one at The Wash in July, a total of 16 birds were recorded during

September (13) and October (3). These included multiple inland occurrences at Pitsford Reservoir (3, Sep) and Little Paxton GPs (2, Sep). More unusually, two birds were noted in June, at Dee Estuary and Tees Estuary.

Curlew Sandpiper International threshold (W Siberia, W Africa): 10,000

Calidris ferruginea Great Britain threshold: ? †


GB max: 272 Sep

NI max: 6 Sep

Curlew Sandpipers are passage migrants to

the UK, which breed in central Siberia with the bulk of the population wintering in central and southern Africa. They are scarce here in spring, and autumn numbers are largely dependent on the summer’s breeding success. The species primarily passes to the east of the UK on passage, rendering it relatively scarce here. In contrast, a staging site on the German part of the Wadden Sea has hosted up to 27,000 birds (Delany et al. 2009); putting the numbers observed in the UK each autumn into context.

Records from 58 WeBS sites in Britain and two in Northern Ireland is evidence of a reasonably strong autumn period. The majority

of records were in September (when juveniles tend to predominate) in what was considered to be a relatively productive breeding season for birds in many Arctic regions (Soloviev & Tomkovich 2011). The geographic spread of the main aggregations (listed below) is further evidence of relatively high numbers that are likely to have passed through Britain at that time. A small number of inland records included four at Arlington Reservoir in July.

Birds were noted at two locations during the winter (Swale Estuary and Tamar Complex) and a light return passage generated May records from four sites (Dee Estuary, Ribble Estuary, North Norfolk Coast and Pegwell Bay).

Sites with 10 or more birds during passage periods in 2010/11† Severn Estuary 41, Sep North Norfolk Coast 32, Sep The Wash 28, Sep Loch Leven 23, Sep Breydon Water & Berney Marshes 23, Sep

Thames Estuary 21, Sep Morecambe Bay 17, Sep Ribble Estuary 10, Sep Blyth Estuary 10, Sep Forth Estuary 10, Sep



117

Purple Sandpiper International threshold (N Europe): 710

Calidris maritima Great Britain threshold: 130


GB max: 1,516 Dec


Figure 50.a, Annual indices & trend for Purple Sandpiper

in GB. Figure 50.b, Monthly indices for Purple Sandpiper in GB.

The UK’s wintering population of Purple

Sandpipers comprises birds which breed in eastern Canada, Scandinavia and Svalbard (the birds breeding in Iceland and much of Greenland are considered to be mainly resident). Most of those that occur in the UK are on Scotland’s rocky shores which are monitored more effectively by NEWS (Non-Estuarine Waterbird survey), e.g. Austin et al. (2007).

Following a marked decline during the 1980s and 1990s, numbers have been relatively stable since the turn of the century. There is a suggestion of a shift in the wintering distribution of this species with the proportion of birds found in the north-western parts of the UK having increased in recent years. This indicates a shift towards Canadian breeding grounds (Rehfisch et al. 2004). Pertinently, a marked response to the prevailing weather conditions appears to have taken place in January 2011, with reduced numbers noted at WeBS sites in

Britain. It is tempting to speculate that this decline may have involved displacement to milder shores further south and or west in the wintering range.

Some notable Core counts were received in 2010/11, the largest of which was an all-time site maximum of 436 at Papa Westray (Mar). Six other sites held peaks of 100+ Purple Sandpipers: Farne Islands, Egilsay, Forth Estuary, Seahouses to Budle Bay, St Andrews Bay, and Rubha Ardvule to Ardivachar (South Uist). Historical WeBS maxima for this species relate to a series of high counts from the Moray Coast in the late-1980s/early-1990s, the largest of which was 517 birds in February 1988.

In Northern Ireland, the peak reported from Outer Ards Shoreline (80, Jan) was typical of recent years. The most important site in Northern Ireland for this species has a historic maximum of 156 in February 1990.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Island of Papa Westray 420 413 324 298 436 Mar 378 Farne Islands (184) (171) (348) 104 (263) Oct 214 Island of Egilsay (90) 99 160 235 Mar 165 Ardivachar Point (South Uist) 139 108 233 98 Feb 145 Forth Estuary 98 145 (114) (147) 168 Feb 140 ��

Rubha Ardvule to Ardivachar (South Uist) 137 Feb 137 ��

Moray Coast (Consolidated) 67 229 199 88 77 Jan 132 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Outer Ards Shoreline 122 66 85 45 80 Jan 80 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Seahouses to Budle Point (65) 12 63 85 136 Dec 74

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

118

Dunlin International threshold (W Europe & NW Africa): 13,300

Calidris alpina Great Britain threshold: 3,500


GB max: 309,306 Jan

NI max: 5,848 Jan

Figure 51.a, Annual indices & trend for Dunlin in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 51.b, Monthly indices for Dunlin in GB (above) &

NI (below).

Dunlins have been in steady decline in Britain

since the mid 1990s. It is perhaps pertinent therefore that two relatively cold winters (2009/10 and 2010/11) have seen improved national index values in Britain and an upturn in the associated trend. Prior to that, the decrease in the UK has been associated with an increase in The Netherlands (Hornman et al. 2011), implying that a larger proportion of birds from northern breeding populations were wintering on the Dutch Wadden Sea – probably as a result of climatic amelioration, as demonstrated by Maclean et al. (2008). Recent declines in wintering numbers of other wader species in UK, including Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew, have also been attributed to similar shifts in their core wintering distribution. It remains to be seen whether the apparent change of fortune for Dunlin in Britain in the last two years is maintained in the years ahead.

Ten sites surpass the threshold for international importance. The peak count at

Severn Estuary of 31,397 is the highest there for several years, and is reminiscent of numbers that formerly used the site during the 1970s and 1980s when the Severn was nearer to the top of the table below. The historic maximum from the site is a startling 64,314 in January 1974. The trend at Severn Estuary since then has been downwards (Thaxter et al. 2010), considered attributable to a north-easterly shift in the centroid of wintering distribution (Maclean et al. 2008).

For the second year in succession, the highest individual site count did not relate to the spring aggregation at Ribble Estuary, where birds of the nominate race (which breeds from Scandinavia north and westwards) are joined by the arctica and schinzii races. The year’s peak, 41,430 birds at Mersey Estuary in November, consolidated that site’s second position in the table (following a similarly high number recorded in 2009/10). Maxima at other internationally important sites were generally close to the recent averages,

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

119

although the peak at Morecambe Bay was the lowest reported there since 2004/05. Among the further twenty sites surpassing the threshold for national importance is Dengie Flats where this year’s peak (16,450, Jan) is the most ever for this site.

In Northern Ireland, the recent trend is also one of decline, and despite the putative westward shift of waterbirds in response to the cold winter there was no change in abundance of Dunlin noted in 2010/11. Peaks at individual sites were generally close to or below recent averages.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Ribble Estuary (33,506) 52,551 (45,662) 28,940 (39,744) Oct 42,384 Mersey Estuary 34,600 41,270 23,115 44,030 41,430 Nov 36,889 Thames Estuary 33,335 34,941 32,123 10 (23,217) (15,970) Jan 33,466 The Wash 25,913 24,523 24,444 33,181 26,136 Oct 26,839 Morecambe Bay (38,248) 24,409 20,289 31,084 19,942 Nov 26,794 Severn Estuary 16,625 (16,072) 27,136 10 21,640 31,937 Jan 24,335 Chichester Harbour 14,152 (18,759) 26,311 17,465 16,658 Jan 18,669 Humber Estuary 14,951 (18,349) 15,444 (16,124) 18,622 Nov 16,842 Blackwater Estuary 9,581 15,015 17,966 (19,606) (17,435) Jan 15,921 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 15,584 12,094 16,855 10 9,654 18,574 Dec 14,552 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Langstone Harbour 12,950 15,007 8,126 13,615 10 12,319 Feb 12,403 ��

Dengie Flats (7,340) 6,116 10,650 11,570 16,450 Jan 11,197 Medway Estuary (5,222) (9,132) (10,633) (3,795) (7,340) Nov (10,633) Alt Estuary 7,630 7,652 7,819 16,004 12,826 Mar 10,386 Duddon Estuary (6,542) 14,523 8,000 12 7,481 (2,206) Jan 10,001 Swale Estuary 5,706 7,692 6,419 13,073 9,046 Jan 8,387 Stour Estuary 7,231 8,150 5,674 6,501 9,691 Nov 7,449 Solway Estuary 6,512 (7,194) 7,836 10,094 5,197 Nov 7,410 Portsmouth Harbour (6,592) (7,002) (6,842) (6,530) (4,182) Feb (7,002) Forth Estuary 5,488 4,937 6,565 (5,357) 6,988 Nov 5,995 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 5,755 10 5,310 12 4,720 12 5,108 12 5,407 10 Dec 5,260 Burry Inlet 6,218 8 6,903 5,703 2,412 4,770 Jan 5,201 Colne Estuary 3,756 6,716 10 4,970 4,891 (3,960) Nov 5,083 Lindisfarne 6,951 (5,315) 3,755 2,108 5,170 Nov 4,660 Alde Complex 3,149 5,380 4,782 4,601 3,994 Dec 4,381 Dornoch Firth 5,681 3,911 (1,050) 3,474 3,996 Jan 4,266 Crouch-Roach Estuary 3,684 (4,403) 2,930 5,209 4,242 Nov 4,094 Exe Estuary 3,091 10 3,975 4,005 3,559 4,885 Dec 3,903 Cleddau Estuary 2,664 4,666 3,988 3,433 4,709 Feb 3,892 Blyth Estuary 4,895 6,130 2,715 2,743 2,919 Nov 3,880 Hamford Water (3,735) (3,340) 3,731 10 (2,945) (3,492) Jan 3,733 North Norfolk Coast 3,321 4,088 2,811 3,830 3,873 Dec 3,585 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 3,151 10 4,115 10 4,455 10 2,514 10 4,384 10 Nov 3,724 Carlingford Lough (2,185) 2,621 1,552 (1,370) (2,210) Dec 2,142 Lough Foyle 1,592 2,028 3,750 1,183 1,515 Jan 2,014 Dundrum Inner Bay 1,047 1,186 1,277 1,157 876 Jan 1,109 Belfast Lough (1,712) 742 699 743 (1,116) Feb 1,002 Outer Ards Shoreline 2,810 739 605 425 338 Jan 983 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Bann Estuary 1,030 900 671 1,060 265 Nov 785 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Eden Estuary 550 3,015 4,705 1,458 3,846 Nov 2,715

Buff-breasted Sandpiper Vagrant

Tryngites subruficollis Native Range: America

A group of three was recorded for the second

successive year; at Dungeness & Rye Bay in October. Prior to that, two had been seen in Northern Ireland, at Lough Foyle in September.

120

Ruff International threshold (N Europe & W Africa): 12,200

Philomachus pugnax Great Britain threshold: 8*


GB max: 522 Nov

NI max: 2 Aug *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

Figure 52.a, Annual indices & trend for Ruff in GB. Figure 52.b, Monthly indices for Ruff in GB.

After a marked increase in Ruff at WeBS sites

during the 1990s and early 2000s, the reasons for a downward trend since then are unclear. In 2010/11, the peak count of 243 at Ouse Washes in November was the most there for five years, and represented the highlight of an otherwise largely uneventful year for the species in Britain. The highest count on the coast was 131 at North

Norfolk Coast, also in November. Those two counts contributed to a pronounced peak in the monthly indices during November, which was then followed by a general exodus of birds from WeBS sites during the frozen conditions in December and January when many traditionally favoured inland sites held relatively low numbers.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Ouse Washes 82 12 135 12 (115) 73 12 243 Nov 133 North Norfolk Coast 121 90 189 116 131 Nov 129 Lower Derwent Ings 148 129 93 78 69 Mar 103 Humber Estuary 61 62 79 37 60 Aug 60 WWT Martin Mere 76 67 48 42 48 Nov 56 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 55 11 89 12 20 38 12 56 12 Dec 52 Overcote Marina 112 12 58 13 0 46 Somerset Levels 29 96 48 37 9 Jan 44 Nene Washes 4 38 76 62 3 Jan 37 Swale Estuary 49 40 14 44 32 Feb 36 Ribble Estuary 32 37 40 21 52 Oct 36 Hickling Broad 3 55 47 35 Morecambe Bay 92 3 2 3 (13) Mar 25 Fen Drayton Gravel Pits 33 60 8 8 0 22 Middle Yare Marshes 27 21 18 12 32 Jan 22 Severn Estuary 33 14 18 9 32 Oct 21 Tees Estuary 33 15 19 22 15 Sep 21 Abberton Reservoir (9) 21 5 26 22 Oct 19 Dungeness and Rye Bay 34 16 22 14 4 Sep 18 Rutland Water 29 15 20 12 16 Aug 18 The Wash 11 2 12 15 35 Sep 15 Loch of Strathbeg 8 6 11 17 31 Sep 15 Minsmere 20 10 9 10 17 Apr 13 Tophill Low Reservoirs 0 62 12 1 1 0 13 Thames Estuary 3 (4) 11 22 (10) Sep 12 Blackwater Estuary 10 15 18 11 5 Jul 12 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 9 11 13 (7) (6) Mar 11 Nosterfield Gravel Pits 23 9 14 2 7 Aug 11

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

121

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Otmoor 31 12 3 12 3 12 7 12 0 9 Sandbach Flashes 14 12 8 7 4 Aug 9 Stodmarsh 5 8 10 9 8 Aug 8 Hamford Water 5 14 7 12 3 Dec 8 Cresswell Pond 10 2 24 1 3 Oct 8 Forth Estuary 14 4 6 10 12 4 Sep 8 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Arun Valley 10 (10) 3 (9) 5 Feb 7 Holland Marshes 17 7 3 2 12 0 6 Stour Estuary 1 1 1 1 5 Sep 2 Sites with mean peak counts of 8+ birds in Northern Ireland† Loughs Neagh and Beg 34 6 0 14 0 11 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Christchurch Harbour 1 0 (0) 0 12 Jan 3 Castlemartin Corse 0 0 (0) 0 9 Jan 2 Crouch-Roach Estuary 2 6 5 12 2 8 Apr 5 Grindon Lough 0 1 0 0 8 Aug 2

† as no All-Ireland threshold has been set a qualifying level of 8 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this

report

Jack Snipe International threshold (N, S & W Europe, W Africa): 20,000

Lymnocryptes minimus Great Britain threshold: 1,000†

All-Ireland threshold: 250†

GB max: 87 Nov

NI max: 1 Jan

Jack Snipe is a very difficult species to census and is probably the most poorly monitored of all European waders on both breeding and wintering areas (Delany et al. 2009). It is difficult to draw reliable inferences from analysis of each year’s WeBS counts, as the species has very low detectability and a preference for habitats poorly covered by the survey. As emphasised in previous reports, the continuation of standardised counts at WeBS sites favoured by

Jack Snipes may prove valuable in assessing changes in status at the local level at least.

In 2010/11, the species was recorded at 107 WeBS sites during Core counts, 19% fewer than the previous year. The peak count was 14 at Cathkin Marsh in November, during which month the majority of maxima at the main locations were logged – ahead of the onset of frozen conditions in December.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 5 or more birds in Great Britain† Craigmarloch 15 12 35 25 Bickershaw Colliery Area 32 19 4 19 21 19 19 Chichester Harbour 37 21 8 10 2 Nov 16 Chat Moss 7 19 6 19 11 19 25 19 12 Rumworth Lodge Reservoir 21 19 1 19 11 Windlaw Marsh 25 12 6 3 4 Nov 10 Somerset Levels 9 9 9 (15) 2 Jan 9 Cathkin Marsh 0 12 14 Nov 9 Severn Estuary 6 12 7 14 3 Nov 8 Cainhoe Lakes 11 6 4 Mar 7 Lower Derwent Ings 14 4 7 4 5 Oct 7 Kinsham Pool 7 16 4 5 2 Mar 7 St David`s Airfield Heath SSSI 5 8 7 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 2 18 8 2 2 Oct 6 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Lindisfarne (1) (0) 0 (0) (7) Dec 2 River Kennet: Ramsbury to Chilton Foliat 6 3 3 (1) 5 Feb 4

† as no sites exceed the British and All-Ireland thresholds, a qualifying level of 5 has been chosen to select sites for


122

Common Snipe International threshold (Europe & NW Africa): 20,000**

Gallinago gallinago Great Britain threshold: 10,000†


GB max: 6,029 Nov

NI max: 173 Dec

Figure 53.a, Annual indices & trend for Snipe in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 53.b, Monthly indices for Snipe in GB (above) & NI

(below).

Snipe use a variety of habitats in winter, and

the population is considered to comprise residents as well as immigrants from northwest Europe. Interpretation of national figures for this species is notoriously difficult because many favoured habitats (such as marshes and damp grassland) are relatively poorly covered through WeBS. Moreover, there are inherent difficulties in obtaining accurate estimates of numbers due to their secretive habits. Musgrove et al. (2011) estimate that around one million birds are present in Britain during the winter period, while although the breeding population has experienced marked declines historically, there are indications that it is now increasing (Baillie et

al. 2012). The indices and associated WeBS trend are

included here for the first time, but should be used with caution in view of the caveats concerning interpretation of WeBS counts for this species. However, the monthly indices are undoubtedly interesting in the context of the coldest winter for 35 years. They suggest a

marked exodus of birds from Britain during the frozen conditions in December and January, and numbers had not returned to near normal there until March with the onset of spring migration. Perhaps pertinently, the monthly indices for Northern Ireland show a pronounced peak in December. This is suggestive of an initial arrival of birds from frozen Britain and the continent, before a subsequent decline as birds were presumably displaced further south in the species’ wintering range. This general pattern also suggests that a usefully indicative trend can be derived from WeBS counts, though a more thorough examination of this is needed.

Snipe tend to be profoundly impacted by frozen conditions and snow cover, when they can be displaced to alien habitats such as the open coast or even urban gardens. The sites table below also portrays the effects of the frozen midwinter, with atypically, no site maxima registered in December or January (with the majority in October/November prior to displacement).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

123

John Harding

An example of movement towards the coast during freezing conditions is provided by the supplementary counts from Southampton Water in the last two winters and a high count of 245 at Camel Estuary in January 2011.

Across all sites, the largest WeBS count in 2010/11 was 830 at Lower Derwent Ings in October, where it is worth noting that an historical maximum of 3,125 birds has been logged, in September 2004. In Northern Ireland, the peak was 119 at Belfast Lough, in December, the second highest count ever there.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 200+ birds in Great Britain† Somerset Levels 1,012 1,794 1,240 711 397 Nov 1,031 Lower Derwent Ings 567 302 1,396 765 830 Oct 772 North Norfolk Coast 96 1,225 10 135 217 73 Nov 349 Malltraeth RSPB 261 573 328 206 205 Oct 315 Morecambe Bay 140 107 378 276 388 Nov 258 Doxey Marshes SSSI 224 278 495 209 70 Nov 255 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) (95) 401 245 10 103 130 Oct 220 Southampton Water (66) (74) (138) 204 12 202 12 Feb 203 Sites with mean peak counts of 50+ birds in Northern Ireland† Loughs Neagh and Beg 33 110 23 204 37 Oct 81 Strangford Lough 38 10 (27) (27) 102 10 (47) Dec 70 Outer Ards Shoreline 68 13 75 88 25 Jan 54 Belfast Lough 33 57 35 20 119 Dec 53 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Camel Estuary 103 53 (189) (215) 245 Jan 161 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Winter 2010/2011 in Northern Ireland† Larne Lough 0 32 3 15 83 Nov 27

† as no sites exceed the British threshold and no All-Ireland threshold has been set, qualifying levels of 200 and 50,

respectively, have been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report

Long-billed Dowitcher Vagrant

Limnodromus scolopaceus Native Range: America

One was present at Lodmoor in January; the

sixth consecutive winter that the species has been recorded during WeBS Core counts.

Eurasian Woodcock International threshold: 20,000**

Scolopax rusticola Great Britain threshold: 14,000


GB max: 207 Dec


Records of Woodcock were received from 130 WeBS sites in 2010/11; a relatively high total, which is presumably attributable to the prolonged period of frozen weather having forced birds out of typical wintering habitats. A monthly maximum of 207 birds was logged in

December, a similar peak to that in 2009/10. There were several counts of multiple birds, the highest of which were during the cold midwinter period; namely 35 at Hamford Water, 13 at Hauxley Haven, 11 at Lower Derwent Ings and 10 at Cors Caron.

124

Black-tailed Godwit International threshold (Iceland & W Europe): 610

Limosa limosa Great Britain threshold: 430


GB max: 32,799 Oct

NI max: 1,771 Mar

Figure 54.a, Annual indices & trend for Black-tailed

Godwit in GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 54.b, Monthly indices for Black-tailed Godwit in


Most non-breeding Black-tailed Godwits that

occur in Britain and Northern Ireland are of Icelandic origin, arriving in July and August and forming large moulting flocks at coastal sites that tend to peak in September. In addition, a small proportion of passage birds are of the nominate race which are mainly to be found in the south and east of England where a very small number also breed.

After a brief period of stability from 2005/06 to 2008/09, the last two years have seen a further small increase in the national index. This continues the long-term increase undergone over the last thirty years, which mirrors that of the flyway population, the estimated size of which was recently revised upwards by 30% (Wetlands International 2012). These trends are at least partly attributable to the higher breeding success achieved on Icelandic breeding grounds as well as the high quality of sites used in Portugal (Lourenco & Piersma 2008).

Twenty-nine sites surpass the threshold for international importance, and peaks at most of

the principal sites were above recent average. The historical peak WeBS count for this species emanates from The Wash where 11,451 were noted in October 2002, and typically, the 2010/11 maximum was also at that site (9,843 in September). This was followed by a midwinter count from Dee Estuary (6,188, Dec), the second highest count ever there, surpassed only by 6,452 in September 2004. Hence, in combination with strong showings at Mersey Estuary and particularly Morecambe Bay, 2010/11 represented a good year for Black-tailed Godwits in northwest England. Five sites no longer qualify as being internationally important following the increase in the associated threshold (Wetlands International 2012).

In Northern Ireland, the maximum at Strangford Lough was higher than the previous year and thereby maintained the site’s status as one of international importance. Elsewhere, there were also strong showings at Lough Foyle, Loughs Neagh & Beg, and Bann Estuary.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

125

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK The Wash 8,090 (6,961) 10,839 9,925 9,843 Sep 9,674 Thames Estuary 4,893 8,081 4,709 5,783 (2,019) Sep 5,867 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 3,713 5,278 3,923 5,763 6,188 Dec 4,973 Ribble Estuary 5,095 3,913 3,088 5,714 (1,585) Feb 4,453 Humber Estuary 5,323 4,554 3,828 3,981 4,069 Oct 4,351 Nene Washes 1,120 3,800 3,530 3,500 1,340 Jan 2,658 Poole Harbour 1,907 (1,413) (2,371) (1,926) (2,084) Nov 2,072 Blackwater Estuary 2,201 2,387 1,572 1,712 (2,124) Apr 1,999 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 1,421 10 2,469 12 2,712 10 1,023 12 2,329 12 Nov 1,991 Morecambe Bay (928) 759 1,844 1,605 3,221 Apr 1,857 Ouse Washes 1,790 12 761 2,067 12 809 12 3,820 Feb 1,849 Stour Estuary 1,215 2,148 1,939 1,953 1,541 Jan 1,759 Swale Estuary 1,396 (1,186) (1,545) 1,825 1,760 Jan 1,660 River Avon - Ringwood to Christchurch (3,000) 2,000 650 2,530 45 Nov 1,645 Alde Complex 1,385 774 (840) 1,114 1,305 10 Feb 1,144 Medway Estuary (1,120) (490) (603) (384) (968) Oct (1,120) Mersey Estuary 420 (339) (54) (270) (1,760) Mar 1,090 Belfast Lough (586) 708 690 10 1,510 (962) Mar 969 Pagham Harbour (764) 1,100 960 833 (806) Nov 964 Exe Estuary 999 913 943 980 868 Oct 941 Warton Floods 600 950 570 1,200 Nov 830 North Norfolk Coast 645 1,139 804 809 606 Sep 801 River Avon - Fordingbridge to Ringwood (1,750) 888 (920) 381 4 Nov 789 Colne Estuary 800 12 617 10 500 12 812 12 980 12 Apr 742 Orwell Estuary 523 845 10 813 10 816 572 Oct 714 Chichester Harbour 685 775 613 603 832 Jan 702 Deben Estuary 622 707 948 503 622 Oct 680 Crouch-Roach Estuary (554) 754 627 764 508 Nov 663 Overcote Marina 850 12 1,400 373 12 0 656 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Langstone Harbour 562 674 422 574 705 Oct 587 ��

North West Solent 353 469 525 640 656 Apr 529 ��

Fen Drayton Gravel Pits 571 31 1,800 200 8 Jan 522 ��

Portsmouth Harbour (398) 371 666 10 (30) (32) Nov 519 ��

Severn Estuary 297 221 646 10 382 804 Dec 470 ��

Sites of All-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 535 10 645 707 193 10 455 Oct 507 ��

Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Southampton Water 295 (374) (490) 514 414 Aug 428 Hamford Water 372 441 521 10 (440) 190 Sep 393 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Abberton Reservoir 2 3 2 493 720 Oct 244 Burry Inlet 300 10 40 200 10 343 477 Dec 272 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Winter 2010/2011 in Northern Ireland Lough Foyle 60 52 25 113 213 Mar 93 Loughs Neagh and Beg 104 75 143 106 204 Mar 126 Bann Estuary 22 90 10 15 69 180 Apr 75

Jill Pakenham

126

Bar-tailed Godwit International threshold (N & W Europe): 1,200

Limosa lapponica Great Britain threshold: 380


GB max: 61,563 Feb

NI max: 2,124 Jan

Figure 55.a, Annual indices & trend for Bar-tailed Godwit

in GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 55.b, Monthly indices for Bar-tailed Godwit in GB


Bar-tailed Godwits present in Britain during

the winter months are of the nominate race lapponica whose breeding range extends from northeast Europe to western Siberia, while many passage birds are of the central Siberian race taymyrensis.

Following a concerning dip in the British trend during the mid 2000s, there appears to have been an equally marked recovery in the last couple of years. As speculated in last year’s report it remains to be seen whether this will be maintained over the longer term; the British trend for this species over the last 15 years has typically been characterised by a succession of peaks and troughs. In contrast, the Netherlands has witnessed a steady rise in wintering numbers (Hornman et al. 2012), indicative of an eastward shift of the population in western Europe in response to climate change (Maclean et al. 2008). Therefore, the relative magnitude of the rise in the British index value during the very cold winter of 2010/11 may be especially pertinent, with the monthly indices showing that

above average numbers were present in Britain during the core of the winter in January and February.

Eleven sites surpass the threshold for international importance, the top four of which all registered higher than expected maxima in 2010/11 (The Wash, Alt Estuary, North Norfolk Coast and Thames Estuary). In a similar story to 2009/10, the February count from The Wash represented one of the key features of the WeBS-year for this species; the total of 21,687 is second only to the 23,751 recorded there in March 2002 in terms of peak monthly WeBS counts.

The maxima recorded at Alt Estuary and North Norfolk Coast also stand out in the table below, representing record counts for these two sites. The maximum at North Norfolk Coast was especially impressive, being some 40% greater than the previous peak (7,429 in September 2003). In Northern Ireland, a drop in the index in comparison to 2009/10 was at least in part due to a decline in numbers at Strangford Lough.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

127

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK The Wash 11,900 10,755 15,381 15,490 21,687 Feb 15,043 Alt Estuary 4,100 2,939 8,171 5,265 12,412 Jan 6,577 Thames Estuary 8,629 3,711 3,804 7,903 8,784 Feb 6,566 North Norfolk Coast 2,990 1,783 1,382 5,010 10,455 Oct 4,324 Ribble Estuary 4,628 5,162 2,762 3,419 10 1,118 Sep 3,418 Humber Estuary (1,871) 1,490 (5,926) 2,056 2,972 Aug 3,111 Dengie Flats 1,062 (1,500) 4,170 2,910 1,232 Feb 2,344 Lough Foyle (2,672) 2,300 2,789 1,501 1,473 Oct 2,147 Lindisfarne 2,535 (2,170) 2,333 (1,398) 1,542 Oct 2,145 Morecambe Bay (2,157) (417) 1,331 (2,164) 2,411 Feb 2,016 Forth Estuary 1,502 921 1,270 (1,293) (1,382) Jan 1,274 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Swale Estuary 585 750 842 1,806 1,752 Jan 1,147 Cromarty Firth 803 (707) 717 1,549 1,506 Feb 1,144 Hamford Water (1,239) 1,255 655 (622) (1,085) Nov 1,059 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 187 215 4,213 10 65 367 Feb 1,009 Tay Estuary 1,002 10 (1,000) 482 815 1,495 Oct 959 Chichester Harbour 630 1,228 802 1,006 890 Jan 911 Dornoch Firth 541 301 871 749 869 Jan 666 Solway Estuary 529 473 (860) 952 499 Oct 663 Eden Estuary 555 605 682 (348) 756 Feb 650 South Ford 782 454 574 230 Feb 510 Pegwell Bay 550 240 273 10 193 12 1,240 12 Apr 499 ��

Inner Moray and Inverness Firth (785) 390 311 464 493 Feb 489 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 653 12 75 12 10 118 12 1,172 12 May 406 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 529 (1,305) 969 10 1,158 436 Jan 879 Belfast Lough (159) 212 167 (43) (396) Nov 258 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Ardivachar Point (South Uist) 170 314 24 460 Feb 242 Stour Estuary 259 212 500 425 (456) Jan 370 Loch Gruinart 209 258 314 404 405 Feb 318

Whimbrel International threshold

(Iceland, Faroes & Scotland, W Africa): 6,700

Numenius phaeopus Great Britain threshold: 1+†


GB max: 1,048 Aug

NI max: 7 Jul

The majority of Whimbrel seen in Britain are

en route to and from breeding sites in Iceland, Scandinavia and western Siberia, and the main wintering areas in West Africa. In 2010/11, the species was recorded at 137 sites across the UK, including five in Northern Ireland.

The short passage period in spring generally peaks in late April and early May. Outside the mid-month Core count priority dates, this tends to mean the spring passage is relatively poorly monitored by WeBS. Therefore, additional counts for use in the table below are welcomed.

Spring passage of Whimbrel tends to have a more westerly distribution than autumn passage (Grant 2002). This is illustrated by the site maxima shown in the table below; a highest Core count in spring of 209 at Severn Estuary and an autumn peak of 275 at The Wash.

A very small number of Whimbrel winter at favoured British estuaries. In 2010/11, just two sites hosted birds during the midwinter period of December to February, which may have been linked to the cold weather experienced across the UK.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 50 or more birds in Great Britain Barnacre Reservoir and Grizedale Lea 477 11 417 11 372 11 529 11 449 Brockholes Quarry 210 11 304 11 246 11 290 11 263 Severn Estuary (186) (85) 331 12 226 209 May 255 The Wash 233 324 151 150 275 Aug 227 North Norfolk Coast 70 257 123 97 197 Aug 149

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06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Dungeness and Rye Bay 246 11 287 11 23 28 14 May 120 Chichester Harbour 31 209 83 132 113 Apr 114 Burry Inlet 223 40 94 108 8 May 95 Ribble Estuary 9 7 58 390 11 8 Apr 94 Taw-Torridge Estuary (42) (17) 93 (76) (40) May 93 Morecambe Bay (53) (17) 103 76 89 May 89 Pegwell Bay 76 19 51 191 12 39 12 May 75 Langstone Harbour 58 84 73 58 39 Jul 62 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 40 12 2 1 116 12 148 12 Apr 61 Exe Estuary 109 60 51 33 35 Jul 58 Humber Estuary 78 36 57 26 58 Jul 51 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Tamar Complex (29) 17 33 59 79 May 47 Blackwater Estuary (14) 8 20 (22) 71 Apr 33

Eurasian Curlew International threshold (N Europe & W Africa): 8,400

Numenius arquata Great Britain threshold: 1,400


GB max: 83,396 Oct

NI max: 5,272 Jan

Figure 56.a, Annual indices & trend for Curlew in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 56.b, Monthly indices for Curlew in GB (above) &

NI (below).

The wintering population of Curlew in UK

comprises birds from the declining British breeding population (Baillie et al. 2012), augmented by birds of Scandinavian origin.

The WeBS trend indicates that numbers of wintering Curlew increased from the mid 1970s until the start of the 2000s. This was followed by a decade of consistent gradual decline, probably associated with a shift in wintering distribution (Maclean et al. 2008). The latter hypothesis is

supported by evidence from The Netherlands, where numbers in the winter have increased, both on The Wadden Sea and in the wider countryside (Hornman et al. 2012). However, the national index value rose slightly in 2010/11, thereby interrupting the recent downward trend. Only time will tell if this represents a change in the longer term, or was merely a temporary response to the coldest winter in north-west Europe for 35 years.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

129

Morecambe Bay and The Wash maintained their status as sites which surpass the threshold for international importance; the all-time record count of Curlew relates to 22,300 at the former site in August 1973. Counts at most of the other important sites were generally either similar to their recent average or somewhat down, such as at Dee Estuary and Humber Estuary (where the

peak was the lowest for seven years). An exception was Severn Estuary, where this year’s maximum of 4,176 represented the most since an all-time peak there of 5,307 in February 1995.

The trend in Northern Ireland illustrates a slow decline in recent years, epitomised by low maxima at the two principal sites (Lough Foyle and Strangford Lough) in 2010/11.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Morecambe Bay (14,027) 11,530 13,136 11,167 11,203 Oct 12,213 The Wash 9,710 7,664 7,548 12,811 10,475 Oct 9,642 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Thames Estuary 6,993 3,722 4,130 4,603 (3,618) Oct 4,862 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 5,565 5,346 3,608 3,590 3,747 Sep 4,371 Forth Estuary 4,567 3,568 4,023 (2,939) (2,552) Feb 4,053 Humber Estuary 5,180 4,355 (3,099) 3,448 3,037 Jan 4,005 Severn Estuary (3,230) (2,560) 3,396 3,731 4,176 Oct 3,768 Solway Estuary 4,007 (3,185) (2,691) 2,698 2,938 Feb 3,214 North Norfolk Coast 2,190 2,884 2,318 2,293 2,109 Sep 2,359 Duddon Estuary 2,113 2,145 (2,315) 1,716 (1,576) Nov 2,072 Lavan Sands 3,243 1,091 1,839 1,878 1,954 Feb 2,001 Lindisfarne (1,174) (1,441) (1,260) (2,102) 1,464 Jan 1,783 Cleddau Estuary (1,869) 1,832 1,428 1,682 2,017 Jul 1,766 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth (1,939) 1,687 1,840 1,702 1,636 Feb 1,761 Swale Estuary (1,516) 1,357 (1,433) 1,808 2,097 Oct 1,754 Chichester Harbour 2,052 1,760 1,481 1,763 1,685 Nov 1,748 Ribble Estuary 1,497 1,419 (1,308) 1,926 (1,653) Oct 1,624 Burry Inlet 1,413 1,370 1,689 1,488 (1,615) Aug 1,515 Stour Estuary 1,424 1,669 1,231 10 1,480 1,355 Aug 1,432 ��

Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Lough Foyle 2,681 2,510 2,588 1,834 1,656 Jan 2,254 Strangford Lough 1,918 10 1,552 1,571 2,040 1,504 Sep 1,717 Belfast Lough 779 10 821 567 824 503 Oct 699 Outer Ards Shoreline 519 238 601 721 758 Nov 567 ��

Carlingford Lough 754 (759) 470 280 (172) Nov 566 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Blackwater Estuary 1,296 (1,267) 1,481 1,249 (1,521) Mar 1,387 Langstone Harbour 1,343 1,279 1,228 1,469 1,506 Oct 1,365 Montrose Basin 1,115 1,734 1,822 1,094 893 Feb 1,332 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Alt Estuary 1,270 1,257 997 (810) 1,952 Oct 1,369 Mersey Estuary 1,379 (982) 1,038 1,051 (1,719) Jan 1,297 Cromarty Firth 1,373 1,318 1,147 1,447 1,556 Dec 1,368 Blackwater Estuary 1,296 (1,267) 1,481 1,249 (1,521) Mar 1,387 Langstone Harbour 1,343 1,279 1,228 1,469 1,506 Oct 1,365

Common Sandpiper International threshold (W & C Europe, W Africa): 17,500

Actitis hypoleucos Great Britain threshold: 1†


GB max: 1,190 Jul

NI max: 8 Jul

For the fifth year in succession, the peak

count of the year was at Pegwell Bay, an exceptional 163 in August. This equals the previous maximum noted at the site five years earlier, and is only just short of the all-time peak WeBS count of the species; 180 at Morecambe Bay in July 1988. In 2010/11, autumn passage

appears to have been reasonably well spread across July and August, with the maxima at Cleddau Estuary (54), Montrose Basin (54) and Morecambe Bay (73) being particularly notable. Numbers traditionally peak at sites in Wales and Scotland in July rather than August, when they

130

presumably attract post-breeding birds from nearby breeding areas.

A small, but slowly increasing, number of Common Sandpipers have over-wintered in Britain in recent years. Musgrove et al. (2011) estimated the total to be in the order of 75 birds, the majority typically being singles at coastal sites, primarily in the south. In 2010/11,

during the mid-winter period of December to February the species was seen at 26 WeBS sites. This total is nine less than the previous year, which may be associated with the cold winter, and included a peaks of six at Severn Estuary (Jan) and five at Avon Estuary (Dec). The only inland record during this period was one at Stretton Sugwas Sand Pit (Feb).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 30 or more birds in Great Britain† Pegwell Bay 163 10 106 122 84 163 Aug 128 Morecambe Bay 48 (38) 21 48 73 Jul 48 Dungeness and Rye Bay 37 30 72 35 60 Aug 47 Thames Estuary 50 41 (15) (14) (5) Aug 46 Humber Estuary (14) 46 (19) (12) (10) Jul 46 Severn Estuary (12) (20) (40) 42 38 Aug 40 Cleddau Estuary (47) 33 14 27 54 Jul 35 Abberton Reservoir (41) 31 46 15 22 Aug 31 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Summer 2010 in Great Britain† Montrose Basin 14 15 4 23 54 Jul 22 North Norfolk Coast 18 14 35 16 43 Aug 25

† as all sites exceed the British winter threshold (1) and no All-Ireland thresholds has been set, a qualifying level of 30 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report

Spotted Sandpiper Vagrant

Actitis macularius

One was at Exe Estuary in September; the

fifth successive year that the species has been recorded by WeBS.

Green Sandpiper International threshold (Europe & W Africa): 15,500

Tringa ochropus Great Britain threshold: 9†


GB max: 768 Aug

NI max: 1 Aug

Green Sandpipers were recorded during Core

counts at 287 WeBS sites in 2010/11. Widely distributed, particularly across England, during the autumn period, the monthly maximum typically fell in August when a high total of 768 was logged. The peak count of 67 at North Norfolk Coast represents the highest WeBS count ever there, almost surpassing the all-time high of 82 at Thames Estuary in August 1973.

During the November to February period, when sites with flowing freshwater such as streams and cress beds tend to be favoured, the

species was noted at 128 WeBS sites. This total is 17% less than the previous year, which is presumably attributable to the frozen conditions prevalent across much of the UK during the midwinter period reducing the suitability of a number of sites.

Typifying recent years, the two top sites for wintering birds were River Avon (Salisbury to Fordingbridge) and Beddington Sewage Farm, where maxima of ten and 12 birds, respectively, were noted. Elsewhere, seven at Thorpe Water Park was also particularly noteworthy.

Sites with 20 or more birds during passage periods in 2010/11† North Norfolk Coast 67, Aug Rutland Water 32, Aug Dungeness and Rye Bay 30, Aug Blackwater Estuary 29, Aug

Beddington Sewage Farm 25, Jul William Girling Reservoir 23, Jul Swale Estuary 22, Aug The Wash 20, Aug


131

Spotted Redshank International threshold (Europe, N & W Africa): 850

Tringa erythropus Great Britain threshold: 1†


GB max: 243 Aug

NI max: 0

Spotted Redshank breed from Scandinavia

through sub-arctic Russia, with most wintering in equatorial Africa and a small proportion remaining in western Europe. In general, very little is known about population trends in the species, although breeding populations appear to be stable (Delany et al. 2009).

In 2010/11 in the UK, typically the majority were recorded in autumn and winter, with a smaller number in spring. Overall, numbers during the course of the year were disappointing and the year was one of the poorest on record. The 64 sites where the species was recorded represents a relatively low number, but similar to that of the previous year. The British peak

monthly count was 243 in August. The peak site count of 34 at The Wash in August was only a slight improvement on the maximum recorded there in 2009/10. On a more positive note, 27 at Abberton Reservoir in October represents the most there since the end of the 1990s when a brief period of high counts of this species included a historical site maximum of 45 (in September 1997).

During the winter period, Spotted Redshank were recorded at 35 WeBS sites, with peaks of 12 at Northwest Solent (Dec) and 14 at North Norfolk Coast (Jan). There were no records from Northern Ireland during the year.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 10 or more birds in Great Britain† The Wash 86 40 48 28 34 Aug 47 North Norfolk Coast 42 29 26 18 19 Jul 27 Blackwater Estuary 8 32 26 9 23 Jul 20 Humber Estuary 25 13 13 25 19 Sep 19 Abberton Reservoir (0) 14 4 23 27 Oct 17 Minsmere 3 6 47 23 3 Apr 16 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 14 12 14 10 11 11 Apr 12 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Beaulieu Estuary 10 0 (1) 14 13 Oct 9 North West Solent 6 5 4 8 12 Dec 7


Greenshank International threshold (Europe & W Africa): 2,300

Tringa nebularia Great Britain threshold: 6*


GB max: 1,470 Aug

NI max: 119 Oct *50 is normally used as a minimum threshold

The numbers of Greenshank present during winter in Britain has increased over the last two decades, probably at least in part due to milder climatic conditions (Austin & Rehfisch 2005, Maclean et al. 2008), although this trend appears to have stabilised.

In 2010/11, numbers of Greenshank at most of the major sites were close to average, with the peak counts typically noted during autumn when birds migrate from their breeding grounds in northern Europe (including some sites in northern Scotland) to wintering areas in southwest Europe, and North and West Africa.

Four sites held autumn passage peaks of over 100 birds; typically The Wash, Chichester Harbour and North Norfolk Coast, and more notably Humber Estuary (for the first time since 1999).

The highest counts received during the December to February period in Britain were from Fal Complex (58, Feb), Chichester Harbour (24, Jan) and Jersey Shore (20, Feb). In Northern Ireland, where the recent upward trend has now dipped, the midwinter maxima were notably lower than recent years.

132

Figure 57.a, Annual indices & trend for Greenshank in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 57.b, Monthly indices for Greenshank in GB


06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 30 or more birds in Great Britain† The Wash 201 252 301 173 179 Sep 221 Thames Estuary 196 132 130 129 (69) Aug 147 Chichester Harbour 132 77 82 88 140 Sep 104 North Norfolk Coast 118 87 71 118 124 Aug 104 Stour Estuary 106 103 110 84 92 Sep 99 Blackwater Estuary (73) (119) (86) (59) 73 Oct 88 Fal Complex 59 66 52 67 60 Sep 61 Humber Estuary 21 (47) 52 65 106 Aug 58 Morecambe Bay 59 (28) 44 38 86 Sep 57 Exe Estuary 71 41 34 61 70 Sep 55 Medway Estuary (10) (9) (4) (50) (9) Aug (50) Pegwell Bay 42 12 40 64 12 50 31 12 May 45 Hamford Water 79 86 31 8 10 Oct 43 Dee Estuary (England & Wales) 32 50 67 31 28 Aug 42 Langstone Harbour 51 37 26 26 48 Aug 38 Cleddau Estuary 25 25 39 40 49 Oct 36 Montrose Basin 19 (19) 36 73 15 Jul 36 Tamar Complex 29 32 31 34 43 Sep 34 Kingsbridge Estuary 27 45 48 5 28 Mar 31 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Strangford Lough 85 65 95 70 71 Sep 77 Lough Foyle 34 65 48 47 31 Oct 45 Carlingford Lough 40 66 (17) (14) (15) Nov 34 Dundrum Inner Bay 24 20 28 26 30 Jul 26 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Camel Estuary (20) 16 19 48 30 Sep 27 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 8 10 3 25 12 67 12 May 23 Dungeness and Rye Bay 13 10 15 21 40 Aug 20 † as many sites exceed the British winter threshold, a qualifying level of 30 has been used to select sites for presentation

in this report

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

133

Lesser Yellowlegs Vagrant

Tringa flavipes Native Range: America

Two were recorded in 2010/11; a typical

showing for recent years. They were at Port Meadow (Oct) and Fal Complex (Mar-Apr).

Wood Sandpiper International threshold (NW Europe & W Africa): 10,400

Tringa glareola Great Britain threshold: +†


Wood Sandpipers were seen at 39 WeBS sites

in 2010/11; almost twice as many as had featured in each of the previous two years. A monthly peak of 34 birds was noted in August. Autumn produced records from six sites in July, 16 in August and three in September. WeBS totals for this species are highly dependent on

Core count dates coinciding with fluxes of passage; in autumn 2010, most sites held one or two birds with the exception of the four locations listed below. A fair spring passage produced singles at 17 sites in the April to June period, the majority in May, and all in England with the exception of one at Conwy Estuary.

Sites with 3 or more birds during passage periods in 2010/11† Blackwater Estuary 6, Aug North Norfolk Coast 4, Aug

Dungeness and Rye Bay 3, Aug Loch of Strathbeg 3, Sep

† as no British or All-Ireland thresholds have been set, a qualifying level of 3 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report

Common Redshank International threshold (Iceland & Faroes, W Europe): 2,400

Tringa totanus Great Britain threshold: 1,200


GB max: 88,627 Oct

NI max: 6,191 Nov

Figure 58.a, Annual indices & trend for Redshank in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 58.b, Monthly indices for Redshank in GB (above)

& NI (below).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

134

Predominantly found on the coast in the UK,

the non-breeding population of Redshank is considered to comprise local breeders and birds from Iceland and nearby European populations. Maclean et al. (2008) demonstrated a northwesterly shift in core wintering range of Redshank in recent decades, suggestive of a degree of short-stopping towards Icelandic breeding grounds.

Redshanks wintering in both Britain and Northern Ireland have shown downward trends during the last decade, but their respective indices contrasted somewhat in 2010/11. Whereas a further decline occurred in Northern Ireland, there was a slight rise in the British index. However, it remains to be seen whether this proves to be the start of a change in fortunes for the species in Britain. The size of the robusta population of Redshank has been revised downwards by 14% (Wetlands International 2012). Fourteen sites surpass the associated threshold for international importance, the peaks at most of which were close to the respective five-year means, notable exceptions being Morecambe Bay and The Wash. At Morecambe Bay, the November peak of 12,979 represents the most there since over

21,000 were logged in September 1989. For the second year in succession, numbers at The Wash were considerably higher than normal in August and September, peaking at a record 10,052 in the latter month. Elsewhere, maxima at other sites were generally slightly below average, an obvious exception being the Severn Estuary where the November total was the highest ever monthly peak in winter (and just 30 birds less than a count of 3,379 in July 1974). Notably, more than 2,300 were also present during January, February and March, following the cold conditions experienced in midwinter. In Northern Ireland, the peak at the principal site, Strangford Lough, was the lowest since 2001/02.

Typically, monthly maxima at many of the other sites of importance were also in the autumn/early winter period. Scrutiny of the monthly indices suggests a clear response to the cold weather. A pronounced drop is particularly apparent in the monthly indices for Northern Ireland. In Britain, after the presence of higher numbers in November, a drop in the monthly indices during the freeze in December and January was followed by an equally marked increase to higher than typical numbers during the milder conditions in February.

Tommy Holden

135

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Morecambe Bay (8,254) (5,802) 10,302 8,814 12,979 Nov 10,698 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 9,384 12,994 9,576 10 11,235 9,494 Sep 10,537 The Wash 5,605 4,407 5,367 11,017 10,052 Sep 7,290 Forth Estuary 4,689 4,374 5,141 4,244 4,524 Sep 4,594 Strangford Lough 3,632 4,028 4,969 4,488 3,286 Nov 4,081 Humber Estuary 3,886 (4,059) 4,716 4,169 3,204 Nov 4,007 Solway Estuary (1,822) (3,213) (2,739) 3,918 (2,311) Nov 3,918 Thames Estuary 4,134 3,512 4,243 3,701 3,284 Oct 3,775 Alde Complex 1,673 9,246 1,213 2,289 2,636 Nov 3,411 Ribble Estuary 1,491 3,559 3,414 4,339 3,640 Nov 3,289 Blackwater Estuary 2,514 (3,586) 3,752 (1,926) 2,591 Oct 3,111 Severn Estuary (2,362) (1,962) 2,997 2,433 3,349 Nov 2,926 ��

Duddon Estuary 3,122 2,562 3,213 2,102 2,401 Oct 2,680 Mersey Estuary (2,455) (2,069) (1,228) (1,520) (1,108) Jan (2,455) Sites of national importance in Great Britain Montrose Basin 1,794 (1,860) 2,198 2,770 1,951 Oct 2,178 Deben Estuary 2,710 2,080 1,856 1,992 2,064 Oct 2,140 Chichester Harbour (2,535) 2,403 1,810 2,028 1,873 Sep 2,130 North Norfolk Coast 1,786 2,899 10 2,109 1,333 1,595 Aug 1,944 Stour Estuary 1,988 1,948 2,176 10 1,779 10 1,661 Nov 1,910 Crouch-Roach Estuary 1,202 1,361 2,403 1,791 2,601 10 Oct 1,871 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth (1,658) 2,040 1,988 1,731 1,617 Jan 1,844 Orwell Estuary 2,075 10 1,375 10 1,908 1,737 10 1,996 Jan 1,818 Ythan Estuary 1,481 1,497 (2,308) (1,706) 1,398 Aug 1,678 Cromarty Firth 1,491 1,514 (1,402) 1,613 2,061 Oct 1,670 Tees Estuary 1,865 1,383 1,471 1,331 1,646 Oct 1,539 Lindisfarne 1,267 (1,746) 1,367 (1,026) 1,459 Oct 1,460 Hamford Water 1,266 1,538 1,366 (1,127) 1,207 Mar 1,344 Lavan Sands 1,016 1,794 1,058 1,221 1,182 Feb 1,254 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 1,310 1,405 1,117 12 1,189 12 1,160 12 Apr 1,236 Colne Estuary 742 1,442 10 730 1,107 (2,150) Nov 1,234 ��

Swale Estuary 1,139 (1,384) (1,049) 910 1,375 Oct 1,202 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Belfast Lough (1,698) 1,303 1,432 1,769 1,377 Oct 1,516 Carlingford Lough 1,128 1,174 1,818 801 (608) Dec 1,230 Outer Ards Shoreline 1,160 1,124 1,145 1,183 1,055 Nov 1,133 Lough Foyle 1,177 905 1,239 1,305 495 Oct 1,024 Dundrum Inner Bay 759 1,284 1,105 897 695 Jul 948 Larne Lough 379 383 397 253 355 Jan 353 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Medway Estuary (307) (668) (874) (497) (1,073) Nov (1,073) Blyth Estuary 1,031 2,002 (1,012) 789 458 Nov 1,070 Bann Estuary 261 392 230 290 246 Aug 284 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Alt Estuary 1,157 805 1,025 628 (1,450) Feb 1,013

136

Ruddy Turnstone International threshold

(NE Canada & Greenland, W Europe & NW Africa): 1,400

Arenaria interpres Great Britain threshold: 480


GB max: 11,157 Oct

NI max: 1,628 Nov

Figure 59.a, Annual indices & trend for Turnstone in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 59.b, Monthly indices for Turnstone in GB (above)

& NI (below).

Turnstone from two distinct breeding

populations occur in the UK. The majority of those which winter originate from Greenland and east Canada, while Siberian and Scandinavian breeders pass through in spring and autumn en route to and from wintering sites in West Africa. The UK is of considerable importance for Turnstone, supporting in excess of 50% of the flyway population during the winter (Delany et al. 2009).

Following a sharp drop in the British national index in 2009/10, this year proved to be little better. The downward trend that has characterised the last 25 years appears to be continuing, both in Britain and Northern Ireland. Pertinently, rocky shores and the associated specialist waders, such as Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper, are considered especially vulnerable to the effects of changing climate, both due to loss of habitat as a result of rising sea levels, as well as changes to invertebrate communities (Kendall et al. 2004, Rehfisch et al. 2004). With relatively poor coverage of the rocky shores

around the UK through WeBS, particularly in Scotland, it can be difficult to interpret WeBS trends with certainty, as any distributional shifts around the coastline may not be detectable. The species is therefore dependent on monitoring through NEWS, last undertaken in 2006/07 (Austin et al. 2007), to derive the most reliable picture of its status in the UK.

In 2010/11, the peak at Morecambe Bay (1,071, Dec) was close to average, but there was variation in the fortunes of this species at other sites of national importance. The maxima at two of these sites were markedly lower than their preceding five-year averages; Thanet Coast (50% lower) and Forth Estuary (37% lower). In contrast, peaks at The Wash and Stour Estuary represented the most at those sites since 2005/06 and 2000/01, respectively. Historically, The Wash has held a monthly peak of 2,596 in July 1988, but even that total compares poorly with the all-time WeBS maximum of 3,795 at Morecambe Bay in August 1972.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

137

The peak count at Outer Ards Shoreline, consistently the most important site in Northern Ireland, exhibited a marked drop compared to

preceding years. In contrast, the count at Belfast Lough was the most since 1998/99.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Morecambe Bay 1,163 (709) 973 1,394 1,071 Dec 1,150 Thanet Coast 1,477 (783) 722 624 529 Nov 838 Thames Estuary 680 1,090 1,060 382 703 Jan 783 North Norfolk Coast 678 913 774 741 746 Aug 770 Forth Estuary (778) (934) (855) (699) 553 Jan 764 Blackwater Estuary 527 676 1,102 502 (377) Mar 702 The Wash 657 478 685 547 789 Aug 631 Stour Estuary 569 617 525 459 10 710 Nov 576 Humber Estuary 542 (344) 447 (553) (379) Oct 514 Farne Islands (445) 556 580 349 (455) Oct 495 Sites of all-Ireland importance in Northern Ireland Outer Ards Shoreline 1,292 930 937 949 742 Mar 970 Belfast Lough 436 419 503 537 612 Oct 501 Strangford Lough 382 344 589 391 406 Nov 422 Carlingford Lough 480 315 155 (150) 124 Feb 269 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Langstone Harbour 450 488 550 299 415 Oct 440

Rob Robinson

Wilson's Phalarope Vagrant

Phalaropus tricolor Native Range: America

Singles graced Stodmarsh in September and

Ouse Washes in October.

Red-necked Phalarope Scarce

Phalaropus lobatus

A single Red-necked Phalarope was seen in

2010/11, at North Norfolk Coast in September.

138

Grey Phalarope Scarce

Phalaropus fulicarius

Thirteen WeBS records of Grey Phalarope in

2010/11 represents a good annual showing. Typically all were recorded between September

and November, including duos at Chew Valley Lake and North Norfolk Coast.

Neil Calbrade

Kittiwake International threshold: 20,000**

Rissa tridactyla Great Britain threshold: ?†

All-Ireland threshold: ?†

GB max: 682 Sep

NI max: 16 Oct

Kittiwakes were recorded at most traditional

sites during WeBS counts in 2010/11, with the exception, as in the previous year, of Loch of Strathbeg. The peak monthly total of 682 birds in September is very low compared to recent years. The largest counts received were from Arran and at sites along the Northumberland and Durham coasts.

Counts of Kittiwakes at WeBS sites are probably affected by breeding productivity on stretches of coastline nearby, as well as the weather and offshore conditions. Hence, the decline in numbers recorded through WeBS in recent years is likely to be associated with the drop in the UK’s breeding population and recent poor productivity (JNCC 2011).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 200 or more birds in Great Britain† Loch of Strathbeg 3,282 785 37 0 0 821 Arran 400 1,000 800 1,500 302 Sep 800 Beadnell to Seahouses 850 (460) 200 450 322 Apr 456 Durham Coast (363) (71) (225) (379) (268) May (379) Forth Estuary (379) (127) (334) (141) (40)12 Nov (379) Glyne Gap 457 (233) (78) 233 (41) Dec 345

139

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Dee Estuary (Scotland) 175 458 183 (640) 188 Sep 329 Lunan Bay 133 67 (120) (1,000) 42 Oct 272 Howick to Beadnell 0 0 0 (1,208) 135 Mar 269 Otter Estuary to Kingsbridge Estuary 250 250 Tay Estuary (190) 300 (17) 155 (1) Sep 228 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Pegwell Bay 0 0 1 12 18 12 272

12 Jan 58

Bonaparte's Gull Vagrant

Chroicocephalus philadelphia Native Range: N America

One was present at Exe Estuary in May and

June. It represents the 11th WeBS record, and is the third to be noted in June, following birds at

the same site in 2004 and at Dee Estuary in 1994 (the first record for WeBS).

Black-headed Gull International threshold: 20,000**

Chroicocephalus ridibundus Great Britain threshold: 22,000


GB max: 224,169 Jan

NI max: 9,292 Mar

Figure 60.a, Annual indices & trend for Black-headed

Gull in GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 60.b, Monthly indices for Black-headed Gull in GB


Numbers of Black-headed Gulls in Britain

during 2010/11 were broadly similar to those recorded through WeBS in recent years. Inevitably, given that the species uses many non-wetland habitats and that counting gulls remains optional within WeBS, the totals reported here represent a relatively small proportion of the British population estimate of 2.2 million (Banks et al. 2009). The WeBS trend

suggests a shallow decline over the course of the last 15 years. In Northern Ireland, a more pronounced drop was apparent in 2010/11.

Considering the important caveats regarding coverage through WeBS, three sites continue to be listed as surpassing the threshold for international importance; Bewl Water, Eccup Reservoir and The Wash. For the seventh year in succession, the largest count submitted related

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

140

to the roost at the former site. A number of other localities of assumed importance do not feature within the tables below, owing to a lack of data submitted through WeBS since the last wintering gulls survey (WinGS, undertaken approximately on a decadal basis) in 2003/04. These include several sites formerly recognised as being used by large numbers of Black-headed Gulls, e.g. Chew Valley Lake and Humber

Estuary. Moreover, many other reservoirs and wetlands across lowland Britain attract roosting gulls in significant numbers. Increased submission of counts from such sites (as demonstrated by recent data from Nosterfield GPs and Swithland Reservoir) is especially useful at helping to provide a more representative picture of the abundance and distribution of the UK’s commonest gull.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Bewl Water 67,840

11 48,400 11 35,340

11 36,400 11 25,350

11 Jan 42,666 The Wash 30,097 (18,679) (20,878) (29,615) (15,142) Sep 30,097 Eccup Reservoir 20,000 20,000 Sites with mean peak counts of 10,000+ birds in Great Britain† Severn Estuary (3,589) (4,851) 16,121 10 (9,721) (8,199) Aug 16,121 Ribble Estuary 15,261 10,055 6,389 25,000 10 (16,065) Feb 14,554 Morecambe Bay (15,232) (12,153) 13,758 13,034 13,403 Sep 13,857 Nosterfield Gravel Pits 1,417 2,631 30,000 11 1,042 30,000 11 Mar 13,018 Rutland Water 12,000 10,000 5,000 30,000 5,000 Sep 12,400 Thames Estuary 10,712 (12,901) (14,532) (7,601) (10,978) Aug 12,281 Swithland Reservoir 12,000 11 12,000 Lower Derwent Ings 5,321 11,600 11,200 11,000 17,000 Mar 11,224 Wintersett and Cold Hiendley Reservoirs 5,000 20,000 6,000 10,333 Sites with mean peak counts of 1,000+ birds in Northern Ireland† Belfast Lough (6,823) 4,971 2,168 10 4,307 10 3,253 10 Feb 4,304 Strangford Lough 3,889 10 4,109 10 5,656 10 2,826 2,634 Oct 3,823 Outer Ards Shoreline 3,800 2,893 3,614 5,628 2,739 Jan 3,735 Loughs Neagh and Beg (3,978) 2,610 2,989 3,599 3,915 Mar 3,418 Lough Foyle (2,091) 3,237 3,324 2,573 2,266 Sep 2,850 Larne Lough 2,245 1,989 2,453 692 1,945 Feb 1,865 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Dee Estuary (England and Wales) (7,515) (4,705) 6,639 (8,351) 10,372 Oct 8,506

† as few sites exceed the British threshold and no All-Ireland threshold has been set, qualifying levels of 10,000 and 1,000, respectively, have been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report

Little Gull International threshold

(C, E & SW Europe, W Mediterranean): 1,100

Hydrocoloeus minutus Great Britain threshold: ? †


GB max: 88 Apr

NI max: 0

In 2010/11, Little Gulls were noted at 42 sites

across Britain during WeBS Core counts. The totals recorded were largely unimpressive, with a maximum Core count in autumn of just 15 at the favoured site of Hornsea Mere, which remains the only site that surpasses the threshold for international importance for this species.

Howard Vaughan

141

Generally, the table below tends to be populated with count data for that site from supplementary sources. In spring, there was some evidence of passage coinciding with the

Core count date in April; a scattering of inland records included notable counts of 42 at Staines Reservoirs and 24 at King George VI Reservoir.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Hornsea Mere (16,000)11 21,500 11 134 610 11 500 11 Aug 7,749 Sites with mean peak counts of 10+ birds in Great Britain† Tay Estuary 206 (3) (0) (1) (0) 206 Alt Estuary 162 12 97 12 75 12 66 100 12 Apr 100 Tophill Low Reservoirs 26 11 250 11 125 12 15 12 0 83 North Norfolk Coast 176 30 10 4 2 Apr 44 Staines Reservoirs 6 1 32 1 42 Apr 16 Humber Estuary (0) (33) (2) 5 3 Aug 14 Morecambe Bay 14 (0) 3 23 (2) Apr 13 Anstruther Bay 0 55 0 0 0 11 Tees Estuary 6 11 21 10 1 Aug 10 East Chevington Pools 14 7 18 9 4 Jun 10 Forth Estuary 25 9 3 (2) 1 Feb 10 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† King George VI Reservoir 0 0 0 24 Apr 6


Franklin's Gull Vagrant

Larus pipixcan Native Range: N America

One at Chasewater in July represents the fourth ever WeBS record and first since 2005/06.

Mediterranean Gull International threshold

(W Europe, Mediterranean, NW Africa): 770

Larus melanocephalus Great Britain threshold: 18


GB max: 1,565 Sep

NI max: 3 Feb

Figure 61.a, Annual indices & trend for Mediterranean

Gull in GB. Figure 61.b, Monthly indices for Mediterranean Gull in

GB.

In 2010/11, Mediterranean Gulls were

recorded at a record 145 WeBS sites in Britain and three in Northern Ireland, with a peak monthly total in Britain of 1,565 in September.

The table below lists the sites where counts surpass the 1% threshold for national importance, published by Musgrove et al. (2011). Still relatively few Mediterranean Gulls

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

142

tend to be seen away from the southern counties and East Anglia.

The trend for Mediterranean Gull shows the continued increase, as illustrated by a single WeBS Core count of 628 at Southampton Water in September 2010; evidence of the expanding breeding population there (Holling et al. 2012). Furthermore, four of the other seven sites to

hold peaks of more than 100 were either in Hampshire or the Isle of Wight, providing additional evidence of the importance of The Solent for this species. Several other south coast locations known to be favoured by this species, including Copt Point in Kent, are currently not monitored through WeBS.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain Southampton Water (112) (309) (30) (36) 628 Sep 628 Brading Harbour 91 64 461 12 101 329 Oct 209 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 131 12 118 11 189 11 309 11 Sep 187 Pagham Harbour 71 (124) (118) 140 336 Feb 182 Fleet and Wey 39 61 140 211 10 94 Nov 109 North West Solent 8 29 101 41 180 Mar 72 Newtown Estuary 56 19 53 111 119 Mar 72 Ryde Pier to Puckpool Point 22 45 27 181 Aug 69 Beaulieu Estuary 6 1 65 172 95 Jan 68 Tamar Complex 34 37 45 65 41 Jul 44 Thames Estuary 71 34 40 37 22 Nov 41 Thorness Bay 27 52 Mar 40 Swansea Bay 33 12 34 55 63 Aug 39 Camel Estuary 11 6 78 33 60 Aug 38 Chichester Harbour 12 (31) 28 (56) (61) Apr 38 Wootton Creek 102 16 6 4 4 Feb 26 Foreland 20 50 10 14 Nov 24 Minsmere 10 11 45 33 22 May 24 Medway Estuary (18) (13) (14) (12) (23) May (23) Yar Estuary 0 2 4 42 55 Mar 21 �� Aberarth 0 2 60 12 Sep 21 �� North Norfolk Coast (18) 10 (14) (9) 27 Jul 19 �� Gerrans Bay 0 2 22 12 52 Feb 18 �� Portsmouth Harbour 11 (12) 29 (22) 10 Feb 18 �� Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Pegwell Bay 3 4 11 32 12 26 12 Aug 15 Hayle Estuary 5 4 2 5 22 Nov 8 Poole Harbour (4) (14) 9 (11) (20) Mar 14 Fal Complex 8 7 11 16 18 Mar 12

Common Gull International threshold (N, W & C Europe, Mediterranean): 16,400

Larus canus Great Britain threshold: 7,000†


GB max: 52,115 Dec

NI max: 2,842 Feb

January 2011 saw a large count of Common Gulls roosting at Bewl Water. The total of 76,020 is the highest ever submitted, and based on the estimate of Banks et al. (2009), represents over 10% of the British wintering population of the species. The magnitude of this concentration may be related to the cold weather prevalent across north-west Europe at the time. Bewl Water is the largest body of inland water in southeast England, and hence parts of the surface of the reservoir are likely to have

remained unfrozen, thereby attracting gulls from usual roosts elsewhere in the region.

The estimate of the size of the international population was recently revised downwards by 18% (Wetlands International 2012), and the associated drop in the threshold for international importance means that three of the sites in the table below now qualify whereas before they would not have done so. The trend based on WeBS data also indicates a decline in numbers in recent years, but Common Gulls at several important sites have not been counted

143

since the last wintering gulls survey (WinGS) in 2003/04. Submission of count data from all sites, particularly those where the species is known to

roost in significant numbers, is therefore encouraged.

Figure 62.a, Annual indices & trend for Common Gull in

GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 62.b, Monthly indices for Common Gull in GB


06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Bewl Water 75,500 11 59,650 11 34,200 11 52,000

11 76,020 11 Jan 59,474

Ribble Estuary 32,000 10 32,000 ��

Haweswater Reservoir 17,185 11 17,560 11 23,565 11 19,612 11 21,320

11 Feb 19,848 ��

Derwent Reservoir 18,500 11 18,500 ��

Tophill Low Reservoirs 8,000 11 25,000 11 19,000 11 17,333 ��

Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Hallington Reservoir 700 11 700 Sites with mean peak counts of 3,000+ birds in Great Britain† Inner Firth of Clyde 5,978 3,610 10 1,465 9,188 1,159 Aug 4,280 Carsebreck and Rhynd Lochs 3,000

11 320 12 6,700 11 3,300 11 2,900

11 Mar 3,244 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Wet Sleddale Reservoir 2,020

11 533 11 2,046 11 3,740 11 6,100 11

Sep 2,888


Ring-billed Gull Vagrant

Larus delawarensis Native Range: N America

Singles were recorded at Thames Estuary

(Sep-Mar), Portsmouth Harbour (Nov-Jan), Sands Lane GP (Dec-Jan), Beaulieu Estuary (Jan) and Dunstaffnage Bay (Mar).

Lesser Black-backed Gull International threshold

(W Europe, Mediterranean, W Africa): 5,500

Larus fuscus Great Britain threshold: 1,200


Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

144

GB max: 34,907 Jul

NI max: 1,143 Sep

Figure 63.a, Annual indices & trend for Lesser Black-

backed Gull in GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 63.b, Monthly indices for Lesser Black-backed Gull

in GB (above) & NI (below).

There are no data since the last wintering

gulls survey (WinGS) in 2003/04 for a number of sites that are probably used by Lesser Black-backed Gulls in sufficient numbers to surpass the thresholds for international or national importance. Currently, three sites (Morecambe Bay, Cotswold Water Park (West) and Ribble Estuary) have a five-year mean beyond the threshold for international importance. At Ribble Estuary, the peak was the lowest noted for several years. The monthly maximum of Lesser Black-backed Gulls was significantly lower than recent years, but because the counting of gulls is

optional during WeBS, the summed national maxima are likely to reflect changes in effort as much as actual numbers.

As with the other gulls, an increased submission rate for this species is encouraged, in order to improve the robustness of the WeBS indices and therefore the representativeness of the associated trend. It should be noted that of the gull species for which WeBS trends have now been derived, the trend for this species is based on a relatively small sample of monitored sites owing to the species prevalence during the summer.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Morecambe Bay 29,576 41,347 17,097 20,110 20,484 Jul 25,723 Cotswold Water Park (West) 6,500 11 9,500 11 4,500 11 4,630 11 4,250 11 Nov 5,876 Ribble Estuary 5,525 9,005 6,045 6,800 10 1,171 Jan 5,709 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Solway Estuary 4,701 (202) (384) (219) 5,960 Jul 5,331 River Avon - Fordingbridge to Ringwood 3,160 500 1,507 9,800 11 8,665 11 Sep 4,726 River Severn & River Vyrnwy Confluence (144) (401) 4,636 (242) (215) Feb 4,636 Hule Moss 550 (1,750) (450) 2,900 12 6,550 12 Sep 3,333 Great Pool Westwood Park 2,000 3,500 3,000 4,500 (1,500) Jan 3,250 Llys-y-fran Reservoir (4,000) 700 2,000 3,000 5,800 Oct 3,100 Severn Estuary (115) (130) 2,899 10 (143) (176) Jun 2,899 Alde Complex 2,990 453 2,775 2,609 1,336 Mar 2,033 Calvert Brick Works 610 2,500 1,200 520 4,000 Dec 1,766 Alt Estuary 1,980 1,063 703 2,206 1,288 Aug 1,448

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

145

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Roadford Reservoir 56 188 100 27 6,755 11 Nov 1,425 ��

The Wash 1,027 1,184 (1,081) (2,052) 1,341 Jul 1,401 Longnewton Reservoir 2,740 1,320 1,810 430 470 Sep 1,354 Carsington Water 1,450 1,200 11 500 51 3,500 11 Nov 1,340 ��

Lower Windrush Valley Gravel Pits 2,922 (750) 852 468 687 Jan 1,232 Eversley Cross and Yateley Gravel Pits 862 693 80 3,010 11 1,453 11 Oct 1,220 ��

Sites with mean peak counts of 500+ birds in Northern Ireland† Loughs Neagh and Beg 1,136 387 214 1,177 1,081 Sep 799 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Hurleston Reservoir 35 50 50 50 4,000 11 Oct 837 Doddington Pool 700 400 11 450 9 2,200 11 Nov 938 Talybont Reservoir 0 0 1 4 1,670 Oct 335 Rutland Water 50 2,500 100 1,500 1,500 Sep 1,130

† as no All-Ireland threshold has been set, a qualifying level of 500 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report

Herring Gull International threshold (Iceland & W Europe): 10,200

Larus argentatus Great Britain threshold: 7,300†


GB max: 106,832 Jan

NI max: 2,378 Mar

Figure 64.a, Annual indices & trend for Herring Gull in GB

(above) & NI (below). Figure 64.b, Monthly indices for Herring Gull in GB


The counted British maximum of Herring Gull was greater than the total recorded in 2009/10. However, as counting of gulls remains optional in WeBS, any summed national maxima may reflect changes in effort as much as numbers.

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

146

Edmund Fellowes

The national WeBS trend indicates a slight

improvement over the course of the last five or

so years, in contrast to the decline in the breeding population (JNCC 2011).

In the table below, five WeBS sites continued to surpass the threshold for international importance. The count of 22,155 at Morecambe Bay in November is the highest at the site for over a decade, however peaks at most other major sites were below average.

Counting gulls at all sites, including at roost, is very much encouraged. A number of sites of known importance for this species do not feature in the tables below, having not been counted for WeBS since the last wintering gulls survey (WinGS) in 2003/04.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Ribble Estuary (25,336) (11,086) (19,024) 29,000 10 (14,427) Jan 29,000 Morecambe Bay 8,553 (10,258) 6,820 6,594 22,155 Nov 11,031 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Glyne Gap (2,700) 6,800 11 11,500 11 14,000 11 6,500 11 Oct 9,700 ��

The Wash (6,212) (5,960) (3,455) (8,657) (6,836) Mar (8,657) ��

Severn Estuary (279) (437) 6,332 10 (481) (1,497) Nov 6,332 ��

North Norfolk Coast 2,474 5,351 (3,113) 12,935 2,711 Mar 5,868 ��

Thames Estuary 4,456 6,655 (4,968) (4,661) (3,228) Sep 5,556 Guernsey Shore 5,704 4,432 7,586 3,896 4,890 Jun 5,302 Lower Derwent Ings 1,600 1,500 1,050 1,140 17,340 Jan 4,526 ��

Sites with mean peak counts of 2,500+ birds in Great Britain† Alt Estuary (1,005) 2,000 3,076 6,514 5,970 Oct 4,390 Durham Coast 3,949 (300) (629) (983) (1,323) Dec 3,949 Pegwell Bay 3,200 4,500 2,614 10 1,030 4,300 12 Oct 3,129 Forth Estuary (2,814) (2,764) (1,864) (3,349) 2,840 Feb 3,095 Burry Inlet 2,407 3,037 10 3,648 2,869 2,989 Sep 2,990 Dungeness and Rye Bay 1,500 12 5,000 12 (1,700) 1,756 2,740 Oct 2,749 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) (2,613) 1,360 2,736 10 (1,456) (4,035) Jan 2,686 Exe Estuary 2,357 11 2,849 11 2,689 11 2,166 11 2,456 11 Jan 2,503 Sites with mean peak counts of 1,000+ birds in Northern Ireland† Belfast Lough 6,655 10 2,511 649 970 10 (420) Nov 2,696 Outer Ards Shoreline 1,602 1,053 1,520 2,306 1,185 Jan 1,533 Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain† Bewl Water 130 11 1,250 11 3,209 11 2,347 11 3,590 11 Jan 2,105 Pontsticill Reservoir (Taf Fechan) 1,109 (1,300) 1,117 2,200 3,420 Jan 1,962 Tees Estuary 1,765 1,948 1,660 2,605 (2,813) Jun 2,158 Axe Estuary (Devon) 640 650 1,230 1,270 2,500 Dec 1,258 Rutland Water 700 320 250 1,000 2,500 Dec 954


Yellow-legged Gull International threshold: 7,000

Larus michahellis Great Britain threshold: 11


Yellow-legged Gulls were recorded at 55

WeBS sites in England and two in Wales. Birds were noted in every month, with a peak of 52 in November. Currently, a lack of WeBS coverage during the first quarter of the WeBS-year at

several important localities for Yellow-legged Gulls on the south coast of England is resulting in an unrepresentative picture of true numbers. The highest WeBS count received during 2010/11 was 21 at River Avon in December.

147

Caspian Gull International threshold: 7,000

Larus cachinnans Great Britain threshold: ?

Caspian Gulls were reported from 11 WeBS

sites in 2010/11. With the exception of one in August, all records fell between October and

March and included three at Minsmere (Mar) and Thames Estuary (Dec), the latter part of a total of nine recorded that month.

Iceland Gull International threshold: 2,000

Larus glaucoides Great Britain threshold: ?

Iceland Gulls were seen during WeBS Core

counts at 17 sites in 2010/11 (ten in England, six in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland). With the exception of singles at Blyth Estuary (Aug)

and Loch Connell (Oct), all were in the typical winter period of November to March. A monthly peak of eight birds occurred in January.

Glaucous Gull International threshold: 10,000

Larus hyperboreus Great Britain threshold: ?

2010/11 was another poor year for Glaucous

Gull, with records received from just seven WeBS sites. The majority of records spanned the

winter period, one exception being a long-stayer at Dungeness that lingered into June. A monthly peak of just five birds occurred in January.

Great Black-backed Gull International threshold (NW Atlantic): 4,200

Larus marinus Great Britain threshold: 760


GB max: 9,463 Jan

NI max: 369 Mar

Figure 65.a, Annual indices & trend for Great Black-

backed Gull in GB (above) & NI (below). Figure 65.b, Monthly indices for Great Black-backed Gull

in GB (above) & NI (below).

Annual Index

Trend


Range 2005/06 - 2009/10

148

Counts of 1,000+ were received from four sites during the course of 2010/11, a typical showing. The highest of these was 1,860 at Lower Derwent Ings in January, while site maxima were distributed throughout the winter period, with a monthly maximum of 9,463 noted in Britain in November. The national trend shows evidence of a slight decline at WeBS sites

during the course of the last decade. A number of sites of known importance for this species do not feature in the tables below, having not been counted for WeBS since the last wintering gulls survey (WinGS) in 2003/04. Submission of counts of Great Black-backed Gulls from such sites, as well as from gull roosts more generally, is therefore particularly encouraged.

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites of national importance in Great Britain The Wash 1,186 (2,131) (1,011) 1,726 (1,538) Oct 1,645 Humber Estuary (20) (165) (176) (1,441) (351) Oct (1,441) Thames Estuary 1,096 (2,107) (1,236) (1,431) 835 Sep 1,341 Lower Derwent Ings 1,030 870 1,000 1,740 1,860 Jan 1,300 Tees Estuary 1,028 668 971 1,169 1,268 Dec 1,021 Ribble Estuary (200) (365) 211 1,700 10 (223) Jan 956 Dungeness and Rye Bay 700 12 1,200 12 (305) (601) 510 Oct 803 Glyne Gap 655 (800)11 1,100 11 850 11 600 11 Nov 801 ��

Pegwell Bay 700 850 821 10 420 12 1,100 12 Oct 778 Sites no longer meeting table qualifying levels in WeBS-Year 2010/2011 Durham Coast (659) (35) (99) (139) (227) Sep (659) Sites below table qualifying levels but exceeding threshold in WeBS-Year 2010/11 in Great Britain Rutland Water 195 380 100 300 800 Dec 355

Little Tern International threshold (N of Mediterranean): 190

Sternula albifrons Great Britain threshold: ?†


GB max: 1,145 Jul

NI max: 0

Little Terns were recorded at 38 WeBS sites in

2010, a similar showing to the previous year. Typically, most were in England, although the species was seen at nine sites in Scotland for the second year in a row. Most were in May to September, exceptions being April records at Humber Estuary and Northwest Solent, and

October birds at Stour Estuary and Hamford Water. Maxima from the main sites were similar to those in 2009, with North Norfolk Coast and Dee Estuary consolidating recent strong showings. Following the revision by Wetlands International (2012), both sites now surpass the threshold for international importance .

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK North Norfolk Coast 284 496 593 491 (502) Jul 473 ��

Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 250 251 309 300 284 Jul 279 ��

Sites with mean peak counts of 50 or more birds in Great Britain† The Wash 83 255 (80) 153 85 Jul 144 Morecambe Bay (4) 42 156 152 137 Jul 122 Thames Estuary 154 101 57 (125) (0) 109 Humber Estuary 59 (8) 44 (12) (32) Jul 52 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Summer 2010 in Great Britain† North West Solent 4 (4) (14) 57 56 Jul 39

† as no British or All-Ireland thresholds have been set, a qualifying level of 50 has been chosen to select sites

Whiskered Tern Vagrant

Chlidonias hybrida Native Range: Worldwide

A juvenile was at Tees Estuary in August; the

sixth WeBS record and first since May 2008.

149

Black Tern International threshold (Europe, W Asia, Africa): 7,100

Chlidonias niger Great Britain threshold: ?


In 2010, Black Terns were seen at 40 WeBS

sites. Following a dismal spring featuring just a single record, autumn was somewhat more productive, with a peak of 63 logged in September. Site maxima in autumn comprised

17 at Thames Estuary and six at Swale Estuary. Inland, four were at each of Rutland Water, Bough Beech Reservoir and Grafham Water, while 11 October records included singles at Draycote Water and Somerset Levels.

White-winged Black Tern Vagrant

Chlidonias leucopterus Native Range: S Europe

One was at Hornsea Mere in August; the 14th

WeBS record.

Sandwich Tern International threshold (W Europe, W Africa): 1,700

Sterna sandvicensis Great Britain threshold: ?†


GB max: 6,322 Jun

NI max: 78 Jul

Sandwich Terns were recorded at 137 WeBS

sites in the UK during 2010. The majority of sightings were during the period spanning April to October, although a small wintering population was also recorded. During the 2010/11 winter, Portsmouth Harbour, Pegwell Bay, Guernsey Shore and Jersey Shore hosted birds in the period of December to February; several of these winter records at re-occurring sites may relate to returning adults (although

direct evidence of this through observations of colour-marked individuals is lacking).

The British monthly maximum was typical of recent years, although the top two sites in the table experienced contrasting fortunes in terms of peak counts. The maximum of 3,787 at North Norfolk Coast in July was below average, while the 1,669 at Dee Estuary in August is the most reported there since 1996.

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK North Norfolk Coast 8,062 2,873 5,729 4,687 3,787 Jun 5,028 Sites with mean peak counts of 200+ birds in Great Britain† Dee Estuary (England and Wales) (530) 1,334 953 (1,235) 1,669 Aug 1,319 Forth Estuary (1,037) 680 (448) (312) (783) Sep 833 Pegwell Bay 650 12 520 1,060 1,050 12 658 12 Aug 788 Humber Estuary (957) 805 (383) 349 (92) Aug 704 Duddon Estuary 843 460 886 877 405 Jun 694 The Wash (164) (338) (498) (213) (602) Jul (602) Tay Estuary (377) 545 373 648 452 Aug 505 Tees Estuary (490) 438 (108) 249 (191) Aug 392 Eden Estuary 766 460 90 53 (55) Jul 342 Solway Estuary (339) (162) (227) 211 (88) Sep 259 Morecambe Bay 190 (201) 216 280 332 Aug 255 Alt Estuary 207 348 112 293 210 Aug 234 Minsmere 50 24 104 847 16 Jun 208 Sites with mean peak counts of 200+ birds in Northern Ireland† Dundrum Inner Bay 311 233 276 179 40 Jul 208 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Summer 2010 in Great Britain† Ribble Estuary 7 256 148 (220)12 351 Aug 196 Exe Estuary 155 285 165 164 200 Jul 194


150

Common Tern International threshold (S & W Europe): 1,800

Sterna hirundo Great Britain threshold: ?†


GB max: 5,712 Jul

NI max: 5 Aug

Common Terns were recorded at 347 WeBS

sites in 2010. All sightings were between April and October, with the exception of a late individual reported from Jersey Shore in November. The highest Core count of the year was from Alt Estuary, where 1,000+ have been recorded for several consecutive years. The total

of 1,768 represents the highest Core count since 2,010 at the same site in August 2005. Maxima at the most of the important sites were typical. As in 2009, this year saw no exceptional aggregations submitted to match recent reports at Humber Estuary (in 2008) and Breydon Water & Berney Marshes (in 2007 and 2008).

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Humber Estuary (19) (330) 7,000 12 (1,126) (162) Aug 7,000 Breydon Water and Berney Marshes 8,720 12 2,520 11 5,620 Sites with mean peak counts of 200+ birds in Great Britain† Alt Estuary 1,503 1,074 1,655 1,513 1,768 Jul 1,503 The Wash (1,092) (342) (688) (179) (387) Aug (1,092) Tees Estuary 869 618 558 536 798 Jul 676 North Norfolk Coast 606 894 782 385 362 May 606 Thames Estuary (206) (198) 514 (132) (75) Aug 514 Dee Estuary (England and Wales) 454 677 (327) (249) 160 Jul 430 Pegwell Bay 5 173 474 440 12 692 12 Aug 357 Tay Estuary (100) 600 105 410 204 Aug 330 Southampton Water (133) (2) (310) (260) (159) Aug (310) Dungeness and Rye Bay (1) (0) (62) 302 (60) Sep 302 Loch of Strathbeg 326 554 174 61 46 Jun 232


Roseate Tern Scarce

Sterna dougallii

Roseate Terns were reported from ten WeBS

sites during 2010, including a peak count of four at Coquet Estuary in May. Away from the typical

core range of north-east England, singles were at Glyne Gap (May), Minsmere (Jun) and notably at Tamar Complex (Aug).

Arctic Tern International threshold (W Eurasia): 20,000

Sterna paradisaea Great Britain threshold: ?†


GB max: 632 Jul

NI max: 2 Jul

2010 was a stark year for counts of Arctic

Terns at WeBS sites, with the British monthly maximum of 632 in July being one of the lowest ever. Of course, it should be remembered that the counting of terns remains optional during WeBS counts and hence any summed national maxima may reflect changes in effort as much as actual numbers. However, it is likely that the poor showing is a reflection of pressures faced at breeding sites in the UK (JNCC 2011). In total,

birds were reported from just 67 WeBS sites, approximately 25% less than a typical showing. The majority were seen between May and September, with small numbers in both April and October (with the final sighting of the year at Dungeness). Typically, the largest counts were from sites in Scotland, but maxima at the major sites were very low, with peak counts at Forth Estuary (153, Aug) and The Houb, Whalsay (137, Jul).

151

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 50+ birds in Great Britain† Tay Estuary (50) 1,841 1,100 200 31 Jul 793 Loch of Strathbeg 164 1,210 883 38 3 Jul 460 Eden Estuary 209 617 25 7 (5) Jul 215 The Houb (Whalsay) 200 275 80 150 137 Jul 168 Loch of Beith 45 250 200 100 149 Morecambe Bay (11) (30) 123 122 82 Jun 109 Loch a` Phuill (Tiree) 37 77 101 135 103 Jun 91 Hamna Voe and Galtagarth, Yell 50 100 150 50 45 79 Ness of Sound, Yell 90 80 100 60 40 Jun 74 Peterhead Bay and Sandford Bay 130 0 (1) Jul 65 St Andrews Bay 110 (0) (0) 13 Jul 62 Nor Wick and Skaw 214 23 10 16 21 Jul 57 Forth Estuary 32 28 10 (4) 153 Aug 56 Loch Inver 18 0 80 120 50 May 54 Montrose Basin 21 2 90 144 0 51 Other sites surpassing table qualifying levels in Summer 2010 in Great Britain† Melbost Sands (Lewis) 2 2 30 (15) 69 May 26 Loch of North Haa & Loch of Beith 16 60 Jun 38


Kingfisher International threshold: ?

Alcedo atthis Great Britain threshold: ?†


GB max: 444 Nov

NI max: 3 Nov

The Kingfisher is not ideally suited to being

monitored by WeBS, owing to its widespread distribution and preference for habitats that are poorly covered by the survey. Having shown a decline in breeding numbers in the UK up to the mid 1980s, the species seems to have recovered since then (Baillie et al. 2012).

In 2010/11, the British counted maximum of 444 in November was lower than normal, with, predictably, fewer reported during the cold period in midwinter. The site peaks noted were 16 at Somerset Levels (Nov) and nine at Ditchford Gravel Pits (Oct).

06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 8+ birds in Great Britain† Somerset Levels 17 22 14 15 16 Nov 17 Ditchford Gravel Pits 12 19 17 16 9 Sep 15 Wraysbury Gravel Pits 17 14 15 North Norfolk Coast 14 20 10 5 7 5 Nov 10 Southampton Water (8) (8) (6) (6) (7) Nov (8) Lee Valley Gravel Pits (13) (9) 7 6 5 Sep 8 The Wash (0) 9 8 9 6 Oct 8 † as no British or All-Ireland thresholds have been set a qualifying level of 8 has been chosen to select sites for


152

PRINCIPAL SITES Table 5 below lists the principal sites for non-breeding waterbirds in the UK as monitored by WeBS. All sites supporting more than 10,000 waterbirds are listed, as are all sites supporting internationally important numbers of one or more waterbird species. Naturalised species (e.g. Canada Goose, Ruddy Duck) and non-native species presumed to have escaped from captive collections have been excluded from the totals, as have gulls and terns since the recording of these species is optional (see Analysis in Methods). All Greylag Geese are included following the reclassification of the listing of populations (Holt et al. 2011). Table 6 lists other sites holding internationally important numbers of waterbirds, which are not routinely monitored by standard WeBS surveys, but by the Icelandic Goose Census and aerial surveys.

A total of 183 sites are listed in Tables 5 & 6, 80 of which held a five-year mean peak of 10,000 or more birds. Typically there are few changes between years to the top twenty sites listed in the principal sites table, and the order of the top ten sites tends to remain unchanged although 2010/11 saw a marked rise by Somerset Levels. Across the UK, five-year

averages of sites holding 10,000 or more waterbirds were relatively similar compared to the previous year, with very few sites undergoing changes of greater than 10%.

The Wash remains the key site for waterbirds in the UK in terms of absolute numbers, and in 2010/11 it held a figure slightly below the average of the last five-years. This follows the 435,227 birds there in 2009/10 which represented the highest site total in WeBS history. Compared to recent averages, numbers at the other top 10 sites showed a high degree of variation. Notably, the peaks at the two principal inland sites, Somerset Levels and Ouse Washes, were the most ever recorded and the most for five years, respectively. Those totals at extensive inland wetlands may have been attributable to the effects of freezing conditions during the midwinter period, when exceptional numbers of dabbling ducks and Lapwing were presumably forced from smaller inland sites. The total number of non-breeding waterbirds at Morecambe Bay was the highest since 2003/04. In contrast, the peak at Humber Estuary was very low, and represents a continuation of a downward trend at that site in recent years.

The Wash supports internationally important numbers of 16 species. Dawn Balmer

153

Table 5. Total number of waterbirds at principal sites in the UK, 2006/2007 to 2010/11 (includes data from all available sources) and species occurring in internationally important numbers at each. (Species codes are provided in Table 7.)

Site 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Average Int.Imp.Species

The Wash 381,341 373,566 345,609 435,228 360,074 379,164 PG,DB,SU,PT,OC,RP,GP,GVL.,KN,SS,DN,BW,BA,CU,RK

Ribble Estuary 214,506 263,487 274,779 210,700 215,024 235,699 WS,PG,WN,T.,PT,OC,RP,GVKN,SS,DN,BW,BA,RK

Morecambe Bay 194,990 155,048 220,210 236,976 240,267 209,498 PG,SU,T.,PT,OC,KN,DN,BW,BA,CU,RK

North Norfolk Coast 217,121 144,141 209,045 204,250 220,287 198,969 PG,DB,RP,KN,BW,BA

Thames Estuary 226,590 189,813 158,941 141,275 145,940 172,512 DB,GA,SV,OC,AV,RP,GV,KNDN,BW,BA,RK

Humber Estuary 168,245 149,622 126,712 152,931 123,306 144,163 PG,DB,SU,AV,RP,GP,GV,KNDN,BW,BA,RK

Somerset Levels 108,163 114,246 104,339 74,482 181,157 116,477 MS,WN,T.,PT,SV,GP,L.

Dee Estuary (England and Wales)

103,753 104,315 124,122 103,072 118,390 110,730 SU,PT,CA,OC,KN,DN,BW,RK

Breydon Water and Berney Marshes

97,127 100,556 128,151 92,574 85,424 100,766 PG,WN,SV,AV,GP,L.,BW

Solway Estuary 118,199 89,947 88,038 93,915 112,244 100,469 PG,YS,PT,SP,OC,RP,KN,RK

Ouse Washes 73,012 67,605 78,260 68,535 104,497 78,382 MS,BS,WS,WN,GA,PT,SV,

PO,BW

Strangford Lough 74,657 87,535 81,876 74,063 71,688 77,964 MS,WS,QN,SU,KN,RK

Swale Estuary 62,313 92,111 66,619 87,603 77,162 77,162 T.,RP,GP,BW

Forth Estuary 59,926 76,442 93,611 70,760 68,734 73,895 PG,SU,BA,RK

Severn Estuary 66,918 72,613 86,217 67,398 75,995 73,828 MS,BS,SU,PT,SV,RP,DN,RK

Blackwater Estuary 72,445 71,693 86,468 66,795 64,850 72,450 DB,GP,GV,KN,DN,BW,RK

Alt Estuary 50,362 40,261 48,791 60,285 107,802 61,500 PG,KN,SS,BA

Dengie Flats 61,848 53,043 58,269 64,265 61,803 59,846 DB,GV,KN,BA

Mersey Estuary 66,708 68,499 39,236 60,723 56,085 58,250 SU,DN,BW,RK

Loch of Strathbeg 51,245 52,062 61,125 67,483 46,441 55,671 WS,PG

Chichester Harbour 44,025 54,125 55,981 48,520 52,704 51,071 DB,DN,BW

Loughs Neagh and Beg 51,398 57,560 46,609 47,747 41,422 48,947 MS,WS,PO,SP,CA

Inner Moray/Inverness Firth 47,200 43,379 42,200 45,062 44,351 44,438 PG,JI

Lindisfarne 47,955 46,951 44,989 36,134 45,387 44,283 PG,YS,QS,BA

Stour Estuary 35,069 40,304 49,936 56,319 37,506 43,827 MS,KN,BW

Montrose Basin 45,569 45,842 55,216 23,030 38,383 41,608 PG

Hamford Water 34,465 45,489 49,200 35,782 41,987 41,385 DB,T.,GV

Carmarthen Bay 52,989 48,033 28,941 31,694 27,957 37,923 OC,SS

Nene Washes 30,467 37,849 30,430 45,395 41,803 37,189 BS,WS,PT,BW

Burry Inlet 44,625 44,794 42,639 29,126 23,256 36,888 PT,OC

Lower Derwent Ings 43,648 34,293 26,056 38,772 40,995 36,753

Alde Complex 33,419 47,038 31,326 32,875 35,133 35,958 AV,BW,RK

West Water Reservoir 57,529 28,196 47,847 26,449 16,650 35,334 PG

Dungeness and Rye Bay 35,636 39,400 27,379 34,758 36,341 34,703 MS,SV

Crouch-Roach Estuary 31,943 36,223 32,184 34,121 32,202 33,335 DB,BW

Lough Foyle 36,225 34,836 39,210 29,936 21,920 32,425 WS,QN,BA

Loch Leven 34,279 19,699 44,962 29,499 33,161 32,320 MS,WS,PG,JI,T.,PT

Medway Estuary 24,672 36,478 40,126 18,270 35,664 31,042 PT,SV,AV,BW

Dornoch Firth 28,356 30,940 32,282 26,866 36,024 30,894 JI

Cromarty Firth 23,330 39,055 25,256 32,111 32,334 30,417 PG

154


Duddon Estuary 28,924 34,971 35,218 28,284 19,464 29,372 PT,RK

Rutland Water 30,859 23,394 27,356 31,501 26,893 28,001 MS,GA,SV

Langstone Harbour 28,041 30,784 22,066 29,053 26,778 27,344 DB

Abberton Reservoir 12,778 30,380 25,631 37,186 30,328 27,261 MS,GA,SV

WWT Martin Mere 28,857 22,659 26,507 28,043 23,666 25,946 WS,PG

Pegwell Bay 29,881 24,090 19,646 25,987 23,070 24,535

Loch of Skene 24,337 20,619 20,403 17,967 28,725 22,410 PG

Orwell Estuary 23,996 20,511 23,934 21,009 20,245 21,939 BW

Colne Estuary 17,734 31,470 23,598 20,908 15,806 21,903 BW

Tees Estuary 23,036 23,222 17,356 23,881 19,338 21,367

Cleddau Estuary 19,659 23,337 21,694 19,006 22,745 21,288

Wigtown Bay 18,101 26,142 19,646 20,218 17,827 20,387 PG,YS

Deben Estuary 17,540 21,611 18,521 16,670 24,831 19,835 BW

Carsebreck and Rhynd Lochs 17,239 14,294 19,873 22,527 21,200 19,027 PG

Exe Estuary 17,825 19,278 19,570 17,076 20,379 18,826 BW

Pagham Harbour 22,679 18,438 16,672 16,912 15,470 18,034 DB,BW

Belfast Lough 18,964 19,414 16,262 18,646 15,910 17,839 BW

Lavan Sands 22,773 16,502 13,991 15,824 16,683 17,155

Eden Estuary 5,688 12,960 36,796 11,407 18,177 17,006 PG

Ythan Estuary 20,245 14,117 18,459 14,620 16,270 16,742 Poole Harbour 15,975 15,759 17,879 15,064 16,984 16,332 AV,BW

Tay Estuary 18,462 18,199 14,440 14,368 13,971 15,888

Fleet and Wey 13,772 13,053 14,314 15,682 22,545 15,873 MS

Inner Firth of Clyde 17,450 17,101 14,817 13,300 14,247 15,383 SZ

North West Solent 13,917 15,623 16,758 15,210 15,261 15,354

Slains Lochs 11,408 17,604 19,700 14,748 11,782 15,048 PG

Cotswold Water Park (West) 12,195 12,530 13,361 17,434 14,156 13,935

Middle Yare Marshes 12,711 18,657 13,817 11,605 12,433 13,845

Mersehead RSPB Reserve 16,113 12,456 1,420 22,808 13,196 13,199 YS,PT

Blyth Estuary 13,433 19,188 14,092 10,024 8,223 12,992

Portsmouth Harbour 14,275 14,019 14,035 12,172 9,549 12,810 DB

Taw-Torridge Estuary 13,155 10,240 16,373 12,231 11,191 12,638

Southampton Water 11,467 11,360 11,170 11,680 14,397 12,015

Arun Valley 13,791 11,964 10,838 9,595 11,783 11,594

Dyfi Estuary 13,123 12,331 12,814 9,607 9,781 11,531

WWT Caerlaverock (Inland) 14,199 13,933 10,545 6,224 12,712 11,523 WS,YS

Nosterfield Gravel Pits 12,290 11,485 9,741 14,646 8,808 11,394

Ouse Fen and Pits 12,948 8,729 13,248 8,406 7,957 10,258

Pitsford Reservoir 11,472 8,405 7,888 10,891 12,357 10,203 GA

West Freugh . . . 17,657 2,352 10,005 PG,NW

Outer Ards Shoreline 12,293 9,674 9,734 8,545 8,993 9,848 QN

Loch of Lintrathen 10,936 11,155 13,133 5,641 7,480 9,669 PG

Loch of Harray 12,639 7,252 7,676 10,205 9,042 9,363 JI

Dundrum Inner Bay 6,566 13,582 8,634 9,269 6,478 8,906 QN

Lee Valley Gravel Pits 7,477 9,073 9,022 8,635 9,861 8,814 GA

R.Avon: R’wood-Christchurch 12,900 9,306 4,749 9,631 7,190 8,755 BW

R.Avon: F’bridge-Ringwood 8,636 8,238 7,809 8,126 9,975 8,557 GA,BW

Carlingford Lough 9,693 10,705 10,289 5,671 5,520 8,376 QN

Kilconquhar Loch 1,187 7,620 14,883 10,469 7,388 8,309 PG

Upper Lough Erne 8,785 7,460 6,455 6,043 8,514 7,451 MS,WS

Loch Fleet Complex 7,141 7,753 4,804 7,745 8,428 7,174 JI

Hule Moss 2,649 7,092 6,570 10,251 8,485 7,009 PG

Wedholme Flow 1,295 2,531 8,270 12,846 8,378 6,664 PG

155


Loch of Tankerness . . 7,731 2,480 8,198 6,136 JI

Dupplin Lochs 1,450 2,100 . 18,608 870 5,757 PG

Loch of Stenness 6,040 5,992 4,961 5,043 5,692 5,546 JI

Lochhill 1,814 5,506 7,516 7,000 . 5,459 PG

Horsey Mere 5,430 . . . 5,125 5,278 PG

Fala Flow 2,170 3,650 1,510 13,190 5,665 5,237 PG

North Uist 4,437 5,924 6,176 4,880 4,696 5,223 YN

Dee Flood Meadows 5,975 3,831 2,692 6,458 7,059 5,203 PT

Biggar Moss 638 7,442 7,375 . . 5,152 PG

R.Nith: Keltonbank - Nunholm 8,115 . 4,282 7,563 478 5,110 YS

Loch of Boardhouse 5,983 4,939 5,200 4,607 2,754 4,697 JI

Orchardton and Auchencairn 4,167 2,799 5,017 5,221 4,446 4,330 YS

Loch Watten 2,964 2,827 3,864 7,611 2,975 4,048 JI

Overcote Marina 7,828 . 6,055 2,006 202 4,023 BW

Loch of Isbister 4,326 3,491 2,759 7,013 2,427 4,003 JI

Loch Bee (South Uist) 3,906 3,673 3,708 . 3,423 3,678 MS,JH

Water Sound 2,040 1,667 3,077 3,696 7,329 3,562 JI

Tweed Estuary 3,675 2,784 2,982 3,416 3,552 3,282 MS

Loch Heilen 2,568 4,899 492 7,980 280 3,244 JI

Martham Broad 1,059 1,198 10,932 1,180 992 3,072 PG

Loch of Swannay 3,073 3,729 3,259 3,130 2,149 3,068 JI

Loch of Skaill 2,542 2,785 2,619 4,712 2,670 3,066 JI

Broubster Leans 2,979 . . . . 2,979 JI

Tiree 5,297 4,196 979 787 . 2,815 NW,YN

Loch Eye 1,086 1,667 2,001 5,708 3,560 2,804 WS

Warton Floods . 3,049 3,137 1,691 2,489 2,592 BW

Lower Lough Erne 3,139 3,282 1,065 1,143 2,110 2,148 MS

Machrihanish 1,831 1,432 1,494 2,180 . 1,734 NW

Isle of Coll 3,143 1,245 341 323 . 1,263 NW,YN

Colonsay/Oronsay . 1,200 . . . 1,200 YN

Sound of Gigha 105 194 1,462 1,983 1,940 1,137 NW,ND

Rhunahaorine 940 1,451 879 1,017 . 1,072 NW

Newmains Ponds . . . 1,782 134 958 YS

Upper Quoile River 1,177 653 . . . 915 MS

Rova Head to Wadbister Ness . 502 929 1,177 933 885 ND

Stranraer Lochs 1,105 877 273 490 . 686 NW

Whiteness to Skelda Ness 359 521 . 658 513 513 EF,SZ

Keills Peninsula and Danna 300 913 239 214 . 417 NW

156

Table 6. Other sites in the UK holding internationally important numbers of waterbirds in 2010/11 which are not routinely monitored by standard WeBS surveys. (Species codes are provided in Table 7.)

Site Int.Imp.species

Berney Marshes PG

Bute JI

Caithness Lochs JI

Colonsay/Oronsay YN

Cromarty Firth PG

Nigg Bay PG

Forth Estuary PG

Aberlady Bay PG

Forth Grangemouth to Kincardine PG

Hule Moss (West) PG

Humber Estuary PG

Read`s Island Flats PG

Inner Moray and Inverness Firth PG,JI

Beauly Firth PG,JI

Findhorn Bay PG

Islay NW,YN

Isle of Oronsay YN

Isle of Lismore NW

Loch Fleet JI

Lune Estuary PG

Martin Mere and Ribble Estuary WS

Middlemuir (New Pitsligo) PG

Morecambe Bay PG

Wyre to Cockerham PG

Wyre Estuary PG

Site Int.Imp.species

North Norfolk Coast PG

Burnham Overy Saltmarsh PG

Holkham Bay PG

Holme and Thornham PG

Norton Marsh PG

Scolt Head PG

Wells-next-the-Sea PG

North Uist YN

Balranald, Clettraval & Tigharry YN

Berneray YN

Malaclate To Grenitote YN

Orkney JI, YN

South Ronaldsay JI

South Walls (Hoy) YN

Simonswood Peat Moss PG

Solway Firth YS, PG

Southwest Lancashire PG

Strathearn (West) PG JI

Tay and Isla Valley PG,JI

Tayinloan NW

The Wash PG

Snettisham PG

Winter Loch, St Fergus Gas Term. PG

Table 7. Species codes for species listed in Tables 5., 6. and 8.

AV Avocet BA Bar-tailed Godwit BS Bewick's Swan BV Black-throated Diver BW Black-tailed Godwit CA Cormorant CO Coot CU Curlew CX Common Scoter DB Dark-bellied Brent Goose DN Dunlin E. Eider EW European White-fronted Goose GA Gadwall GG Great Crested Grebe GK Greenshank GP Golden Plover GV Grey Plover

JE/JH British/Irish Greylag Goose JI Greylag Goose

(Icelandic population) KN Knot L. Lapwing LG Little Grebe MA Mallard MS Mute Swan ND Great Northern Diver NW Greenland White-fronted Goose OC Oystercatcher PG Pink-footed Goose PO Pochard PS Purple Sandpiper PT Pintail QN Light-bellied Brent Goose

(Nearctic population) QS Light-bellied Brent Goose

(Svalbard population)

RH Red-throated Diver RK Redshank RM Red-breasted Merganser RP Ringed Plover RU Ruff SP Scaup SS Sanderling SU Shelduck SV Shoveler SZ Slavonian Grebe T. Teal TT Turnstone WN Wigeon WS Whooper Swan YN Barnacle Goose

(Nearctic population)

157

WeBS Low Tide Counts

AIMS

Estuarine sites in the UK provide the most important habitat for non-breeding waterbirds, acting as wintering grounds for many migrants but also as stopover feeding locations for other waterbirds passing along the East Atlantic Flyway. Core Counts on estuaries tend to quantify birds present at high tide roosts. Although important, knowledge of roost sites provides only part of the picture, and does not elucidate the use that waterbirds make of a site for feeding. The WeBS Low Tide Counts scheme has flourished since its inception in the winter of 1992/93, with most of the major estuaries covered. The scheme aims principally to monitor, assess and regularly update information on the relative importance of inter-tidal feeding areas of UK estuaries for wintering waterbirds and thus to complement the information gathered by WeBS Core Counts. The data gathered contribute greatly to the conservation of waterbirds by providing supporting information for the establishment and management of UK Ramsar sites and Special Protection Areas (SPAs), other site designations and whole estuary conservation plans. In addition, WeBS Low Tide Counts enhance our knowledge of the low water distribution of waterbirds and provide data that highlight regional variations in habitat use, whilst also informing protection of the important foraging areas identified. WeBS Low Tide Counts provide valuable information needed to gauge the potential effects on waterbirds of a variety of human activities which affect the extent or value of inter-tidal habitats, such as proposals for dock developments, recreational activities, tidal power barrages, marinas and housing schemes. Designing mitigation or compensation for such activities can be assisted using data collected under the scheme. Furthermore, the effects on bird distributions of climate change and sea level rise can be assessed.

METHODS

The scheme provides information on the numbers of waterbirds feeding on subdivisions of the inter-tidal habitat within estuaries. Given the extra work that Low Tide Counts entail, often by the same counters that carry out the Core Counts, WeBS aims to cover most individual estuaries about once every six years, although on some sites more frequent counts are made. Co-ordinated counts of waterbirds are made by volunteers each month between November and February on pre-established subdivisions of the inter-tidal habitat in the period two hours either side of low tide.

DATA PRESENTATION

Tabulated Statistics

Tables 8 and 9 present three statistics for 18 of the more numerous waterbird species present on 21 estuaries covered during the 2010/11 winter: the peak number of a species over the whole site counted in any one month (with checks for count synchronicity made from assessing proximity of count dates and consultation with Local Organisers); an estimate of the mean number present over the winter for the whole site (obtained by summing the mean counts of each species for each count section) and the mean density over the site (in birds per hectare), which is the mean number divided by the total area surveyed (in hectares). The area value used for these calculations is the sum of the inter-tidal and non-tidal components of each count section but omits the sub-tidal areas (i.e. those parts of the count section which are under water on a mean low tide). Dot Density Maps

WeBS Low Tide Count data are presented as dot density maps, with subdivision of count sections into basic habitat elements. The reason for such a subdivision is to ensure species are plotted on appropriate habitat areas and to improve the accuracy of density estimates. Each section for which a count has

158

been made is divided into a maximum of three different habitat components: Inter-tidal: Areas that lie between mean high water and mean low water. Sub-tidal: Areas that lie below mean low water. In more ‘open-coast’-type situations, a sub-tidal zone reaching 500 m out from the inter-tidal sections has been created arbitrarily, indicating the approximate extent of visibility offshore from land-based counts. Non-tidal: Areas that lie above mean high water (usually saltmarsh although some grazing marshes are also covered). The mean count for the sector is then divided amongst a varying number of the different components, dependent on the usual habitat preferences of the species involved. For example, Dunlin dots are plotted exclusively on inter-tidal sections whereas Wigeon dots are spread across inter-tidal, sub-tidal and non-tidal areas (in proportion to the relative areas of these three components). Currently, throughout all WeBS Low Tide Count analyses, mean low tide and mean high tide are taken from the most recent Ordnance Survey 1:25000 maps (in Scotland, the lines on the OS maps are mean low water springs and mean high water springs instead). It is recognised, unfortunately, that these maps represent the current real shape of the mudflats, water channels and saltmarshes to varying degrees of accuracy. However, in the interests of uniformity across the UK, the Ordnance Survey outlines are adhered to throughout the analyses. The maps display the average number of birds in each count section as dots spread randomly across habitat components of count sections, thus providing an indication of both numbers and density. It is important to note that individual dots do not represent the precise position of individual birds; dots have been assigned to habitat components proportionally and are then randomly placed within those areas. No information about the distribution of birds at a finer scale than the count sector level should be inferred from the dot density maps. For all maps in the present report, one dot is equivalent to one bird, except where stated. The size of

individual dots has no relevance other than for clarity. As most estuaries have now been covered more than once at low tide, density maps show the relative distributions of species in the winter of 2010/11 compared to an earlier winter of survey. It is hoped that comparative dot density distributions will lead to an easier and fuller appreciation of low tide estuarine waterbird distribution, and changes therein. The following colour conventions apply to density maps: red dots = 2010/11 winter; blue dots = earlier winter; pale blue = water; yellow = inter-tidal habitat (e.g. mudflat, sandflat); pale green = non-tidal habitat (e.g. saltmarsh, reedbed); grey = not covered in one survey winter. More detailed information concerning analysis and presentation of WeBS Low Tide Counts can be obtained from the Low Tide Counts National Organiser, or from Estuarine Waterbirds at Low Tide (Musgrove et al. 2003)

ESTUARY ACCOUNTS

The main estuaries counted at low tide in the winter of 2010/11 are discussed. WeBS Low Tide Counts were carried out on 21 different sites, with estuary accounts encompassing 4 of these. To allow space in this report for these sites which have not been counted for many years, dot density distribution maps for all sites included in the 2010/11 Low Tide Counts are available on our website at www.bto.org/webs/low-tide-results or from the WeBS office. Other counts, usually on limited numbers of sectors or only in one month, were made in the winter of 2010/11 on Adur Estuary, Langstone Harbour, Loch Indaal, Fal Complex and Moray Firth. For all other sites, data were collected during the period November to February. Assessment of national and international importance is based on five- year peak mean counts from the main species accounts in this volume of Waterbirds in the UK. Fig. 66 shows the location of sites covered in 2010/11, and a site description is presented for each estuary. Distribution maps are presented for selected species; where possible, for species present in national or internationally important numbers, or which are known to be undergoing site-level changes. General bird distribution is described for winter 2010/11.

159

Figure 66. Map showing estuaries covered at low tide in the winter of 2010/11. 1: Loch Fleet; 2: Moray Firth; 3: Breydon Water; 4: Alde Estuary; 5: Orwell Estuary;6: Stour Estuary;7: Crouch-Roach Estuary; 8: Adur Estuary; 9 Chichester Harbour; 10: Langstone Harbour; 11: Beaulieu Estuary; 12: Northwest Solent; 13:Fal Complex; 14: Hayle Estuary; 15: Burry Inlet; 16: Carmarthen Bay; 17: Traeth Lafan; 18: Solway Estuary; 19: Loch Indaal; 20: Belfast Lough; 21: Strangford Lough.

160

Table 8. Sites covered by Low Tide Counts in 2010/11 and important bird numbers held. Numbers in parentheses refer to the location in Figure 66. For species codes see Table 7.

International Importance National Importance

Adur Estuary (8) None None

Alde Estuary (4) AV, BW, RK DN, PT, SU, SV, T., WN

Belfast Lough (20) BW SU, SV, SP, E., GN, RM, RH,

BV, GG, OC, RP, PS, RK, TT

Beaulieu Estuary (11) None DB, GV

Bembridge Harbour None None

Breydon Water (3) PG, WN, SV, AV, GP, L., BW, CN BS, EW, T., PT, RU, RK

Burry Inlet (15) PT, OC SV, DN, CU, GK, KN, BW

Carmarthen Bay (16) CX, SS, OC GP, BW, GK, KN, RM

Chichester Harbour (9) DB, DN, BW BA, CU, GV, RK, SS, SU

Crouch-Roach Est. (7) DB, BW DN, GP, GV, L., RP, SU, SV

Fal Complex (13) None QN

Hayle Estuary (14) None None

Langstone Harbour (10) DB RM, GV, DN, BW

Loch Fleet (1) JI None

Loch Indaal (19) None QN, SZ, SP

Northwest Solent (12) None DB, PT, GV, BW

Orwell Estuary (5) BW DB, GA, AV, KN, BW, RK

Solway Estuary (18) YS, KN, OC, PG, PT, SP, RK, RP WS, BA, CU, DN, GP, SS, SU, T.

Stour Estuary (6) MS, BW, KN DB, SU, PT, AV, GV, DN, RU,

RK, RM, TT

Strangford Lough (21) MS, WS, QN, SU, KN, GV, L., RK T., RM, BV, GG, CO, RP, GP, GV,

WN, MA, PT, SV, E., GN, DN, CU,

GK, BW, BA

Treath Lafan (17) None CU, OC, QN, RK, RM

Table 9. Peak, mean counts and mean density (birds per ha) of 18 species across 21 estuaries covered by WeBS Low Tide Counts in 2010/11. “+” indicates densities of <0.01 birds per ha.

Species

Adur Estuary Alde Complex Beaulieu Estuary Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Brent Goose 0 0 0 479 215 0.05 660 481 0.83 Shelduck 1 0 + 906 723 0.17 116 68 0.12 Wigeon 0 0 0 6,374 5,243 1.23 984 776 1.34 Teal 238 103 1.37 3,391 3,201 0.75 877 643 1.11 Mallard 4 2 0.03 744 523 0.12 186 150 0.26 Pintail 0 0 0 142 149 0.04 34 10 0.02 Oystercatcher 2 2 0.03 214 93 0.02 63 52 0.09 Ringed Plover 61 23 0.31 222 77 0.02 11 7 0.01 Golden Plover 1 0 + 1,054 448 0.11 0 0 0 Grey Plover 12 7 0.09 64 65 0.02 66 34 0.06 Lapwing 352 165 2.2 3,490 3,197 0.75 605 328 0.57 Knot 0 0 0 72 48 0.01 336 128 0.22 Dunlin 238 183 2.44 2,185 2,640 0.62 347 183 0.32 Black-tailed Godwit 0 0 0 1,305 852 0.2 170 90 0.16

Bar-tailed Godwit 0 0 0 27 8 + 18 10 0.02 Curlew 0 0 0 922 909 0.21 213 186 0.32 Redshank 38 32 0.43 2,022 2,139 0.5 43 29 0.05 Turnstone 15 7 0.09 30 35 0.01 29 21 0.04

161

Table 9. cont.

Species

Belfast Lough Bembridge Harbour Breydon Water Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Brent Goose 88 62 0.14 370 223 1.59 0 0 0 Shelduck 206 165 0.36 25 16 0.11 54 26 0.06 Wigeon 147 119 0.26 1 0 + 29,370 12,112 30.13 Teal 704 532 1.17 193 84 0.6 884 489 1.22 Mallard 297 237 0.52 51 28 0.2 203 142 0.35 Pintail 0 0 0 0 0 0 86 33 0.08 Oystercatcher 3,374 2,929 6.42 25 21 0.15 34 10 0.02 Ringed Plover 160 132 0.29 12 5 0.04 24 12 0.03 Golden Plover 0 0 0 2 1 0.01 9,490 6,461 16.07 Grey Plover 2 0 + 21 9 0.06 37 19 0.05 Lapwing 510 366 0.8 182 55 0.39 16,955 7,384 18.37 Knot 134 65 0.14 0 0 0 100 58 0.14 Dunlin 1,344 1,007 2.21 93 54 0.39 5,407 3,675 9.14 Black-tailed Godwit 481 326 0.71 35 29 0.21 1,140 776 1.93

Bar-tailed Godwit 95 89 0.2 4 2 0.01 15 5 0.01 Curlew 280 185 0.41 17 15 0.11 672 299 0.74 Redshank 1,016 826 1.81 26 21 0.15 1,194 750 1.87 Turnstone 375 329 0.72 1 0 + 3 1 +

Species

Burry Inlet Carmarthen Bay Chichester Harbour Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Brent Goose 747 633 0.11 15 13 0.01 7,184 6,865 2.73 Shelduck 712 466 0.08 138 99 0.06 1,015 716 0.28 Wigeon 480 186 0.03 172 88 0.05 2,404 1,690 0.67 Teal 245 105 0.02 490 329 0.18 931 698 0.28 Mallard 15 7 + 0 119 0.07 351 310 0.12 Pintail 973 793 0.14 148 119 0.07 306 144 0.06 Oystercatcher 9,966 7,297 1.32 10,613 9,330 5.21 977 959 0.38 Ringed Plover 0 0 0 15 8 + 146 83 0.03 Golden Plover 112 37 0.01 0 0 0 967 538 0.21 Grey Plover 345 189 0.03 2 1 + 645 461 0.18 Lapwing 2,488 1,347 0.24 284 237 0.13 1,512 1,021 0.41 Knot 1,100 813 0.15 2,500 1,596 0.89 8,197 3,584 1.42 Dunlin 3,310 1,787 0.32 2,081 1,448 0.81 30,075 16,522 6.56 Black-tailed Godwit 703 474 0.09 96 68 0.04 572 347 0.14

Bar-tailed Godwit 25 8 + 20 14 0.01 1,628 987 0.39 Curlew 1,052 572 0.1 118 117 0.07 465 473 0.19 Redshank 451 390 0.07 281 213 0.12 687 589 0.23 Turnstone 0 0 0 42 15 0.01 102 87 0.03

Species

Crouch-Roach Estuary Fal Complex Hayle Estuary

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Brent Goose 4,368 2,685 1.56 0 0 0 0 0 0 Shelduck 2,115 1,438 0.83 0 0 0 49 36 0.34 Wigeon 5,932 3,168 1.84 3 1 0.05 1,675 790 7.52 Teal 4,403 3,029 1.76 0 0 0 1,423 735 7 Mallard 287 220 0.13 26 13 0.43 0 0 0 Pintail 356 133 0.08 0 0 0 0 0 0 Oystercatcher 468 268 0.16 4 2 0.08 20 17 0.16 Ringed Plover 126 72 0.04 0 0 0 17 9 0.09 Golden Plover 4,018 1,638 0.95 0 0 0 0 0 0 Grey Plover 364 173 0.1 1 1 0.02 5 2 0.02 Lapwing 5,857 4,172 2.42 0 0 0 290 77 0.73 Knot 418 108 0.06 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dunlin 6,433 2,558 1.48 1 1 0.02 375 155 1.48 Black-tailed Godwit 774 455 0.26 0 0 0 2 0 +

Bar-tailed Godwit 8 4 + 1 1 0.02 12 8 0.08 Curlew 510 396 0.23 4 2 0.07 469 129 1.23 Redshank 2,780 2,563 1.49 12 6 0.26 41 17 0.16 Turnstone 43 25 0.01 4 2 0.08 8 2 0.02

162

Table 9. cont.

Species

Langstone Harbour Loch Fleet Loch Indaal Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Brent Goose 1,972 1,902 4.71 0 0 0 29 25 0.07 Shelduck 215 143 0.35 175 90 0.16 25 28 0.07 Wigeon 932 881 2.18 996 687 1.18 313 261 0.69 Teal 153 73 0.18 144 126 0.22 145 127 0.34 Mallard 23 13 0.03 323 205 0.35 159 151 0.4 Pintail 98 55 0.14 0 0 0 5 6 0.02 Oystercatcher 417 352 0.87 1,089 923 1.59 198 230 0.61 Ringed Plover 60 46 0.11 8 3 0.01 216 206 0.55 Golden Plover 1 0 + 0 0 0 583 311 0.82 Grey Plover 177 118 0.29 0 0 0 11 16 0.04 Lapwing 55 29 0.07 0 0 0 180 108 0.29 Knot 22 12 0.03 56 14 0.02 70 50 0.13 Dunlin 5,078 3,320 8.22 392 188 0.32 313 286 0.76 Black-tailed Godwit 77 47 0.12 0 0 0 0 0 0

Bar-tailed Godwit 61 25 0.06 131 41 0.07 89 114 0.3 Curlew 201 164 0.41 300 257 0.44 360 261 0.69 Redshank 132 123 0.3 378 239 0.41 19 18 0.05 Turnstone 40 29 0.07 0 0 0 52 45 0.12

Species

Northwest Solent Orwell Estuary Solway Firth Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Brent Goose 2,653 2,114 2.81 1,547 790 0.64 0 0 0 Shelduck 282 207 0.27 1,130 825 0.67 766 954 0.06 Wigeon 1,351 971 1.29 1,809 1,346 1.1 1,922 2,094 0.13 Teal 717 408 0.54 1,344 747 0.61 599 515 0.03 Mallard 39 21 0.03 373 267 0.22 702 772 0.05 Pintail 180 68 0.09 202 175 0.14 3,929 2,246 0.13 Oystercatcher 104 93 0.12 1,743 1,506 1.23 15,306 19,902 1.19 Ringed Plover 73 29 0.04 152 72 0.06 103 111 0.01 Golden Plover 62 22 0.03 792 213 0.17 3,313 1,489 0.09 Grey Plover 194 142 0.19 451 259 0.21 370 237 0.01 Lapwing 67 39 0.05 1,200 813 0.66 1,603 1,571 0.09 Knot 171 99 0.13 2,771 1,120 0.91 2,685 2,398 0.14 Dunlin 3,980 3,313 4.4 4,292 2,512 2.05 7,307 10,464 0.63 Black-tailed Godwit 446 329 0.44 546 378 0.31 5 2 +

Bar-tailed Godwit 27 17 0.02 45 15 0.01 907 1,160 0.07 Curlew 156 121 0.16 584 542 0.44 2,830 3,355 0.2 Redshank 121 83 0.11 1,594 1,415 1.15 1,625 1,355 0.08 Turnstone 99 79 0.1 126 90 0.07 81 66 +

Species

Stour Estuary Strangford Lough Traeth Lafan Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Peak No.

Mean No.

Mean Dns.

Brent Goose 1,851 1,474 0.91 2,522 2,072 0.57 24 18 0.01 Shelduck 1,776 1,560 0.96 3,101 2,322 0.64 556 306 0.09 Wigeon 3,524 2,355 1.45 1,049 637 0.17 420 287 0.09 Teal 1,224 893 0.55 2,104 1,484 0.41 51 23 0.01 Mallard 269 214 0.13 326 296 0.08 284 217 0.07 Pintail 290 245 0.15 218 92 0.03 157 127 0.04 Oystercatcher 1,190 1,058 0.65 5,420 4,475 1.23 5,212 4,627 1.44 Ringed Plover 135 102 0.06 137 110 0.03 55 30 0.01 Golden Plover 493 172 0.11 1,819 1,321 0.36 0 0 0 Grey Plover 978 862 0.53 40 21 0.01 2 0 + Lapwing 1,875 1,043 0.64 3,068 1,876 0.51 180 45 0.01 Knot 10,735 6,047 3.72 2,807 1,401 0.38 152 53 0.02 Dunlin 16,180 13,312 8.18 4,384 3,114 0.85 2,573 734 0.23 Black-tailed Godwit 1,644 857 0.53 313 238 0.07 0 0 0

Bar-tailed Godwit 144 121 0.07 737 588 0.16 43 11 + Curlew 977 884 0.54 1,129 1,045 0.29 952 708 0.22 Redshank 1,755 1,435 0.88 2,018 1,900 0.52 714 599 0.19 Turnstone 538 462 0.28 144 126 0.03 115 58 0.02

163

ALDE COMPLEX

Site description

The Alde Complex is separated from the sea by the large shingle spit of Orfordness, and the estuary is comprised of three rivers – the Alde, Butley and Ore. The spit has been extending southwards since 1530, with the consequent effect of pushing the mouth of the River Ore progressively further to the southwest. Havergate Island lies at the confluence of the Rivers Ore and Butley, and supports the largest breeding colony of Avocets in Britain. The River Alde is relatively wide and shallow with mudflats in the upper reaches and saltmarsh including some Spartina exposed at low tide along both banks. The Butley River has extensive areas of mudflat, grading into saltmarsh and reedbed along its length. The River Ore has very little mudflat and is largely entrained by seawalls.

Industrial operations are virtually absent and water quality is excellent, however, a wide range of recreational activities takes place. Sailing occurs throughout (with moorings at Aldeburgh and Orford) and windsurfing, canoeing and water-skiing are permitted in the lower zones. Leisure use of the beach occurs around the mouth and wildfowling takes place over parts of the Alde, Butley and Orfordness. Other activities include oyster cultivation, fish trawling, eel netting, reed cutting and bait digging.

General bird distribution 2010/11

Area covered 5,807 ha; Mean total birds

23,502; Mean bird density 4.05 birds per ha.

The Alde Estuary supports high numbers of many waterbirds, with 57 species recorded during Low Tide Counts. These included two Spoonbills and one Bittern. Wigeon and Teal were the most numerous wildfowl species present, and were both found throughout the site with the Butley River, Havergate Island and the Snape Maltings used by marked concentrations. The extensive marshes on the site supported good numbers of other wildfowl, including three-figure counts of Shoveler, Gadwall, Pintail and Tufted Ducks, with Orfordness, Havergate Island, Oxley Marshes and Gedgrave Marshes being

especially favoured. Up to 550 European White-fronted Geese were present at Aldeburgh & Sudbourne Marshes. This is a species infrequently recorded during Low Tide WeBS counts (as are Tundra Bean Geese and Smew, which were also noted at Alde Complex in 2010/11). Despite the lack of wide mudflats, the site held four-figure counts of several wader species, including Avocet, Dunlin and Redshank, whilst the presence of up to 38 Spotted Redshank in November was noteworthy. Comparative bird distribution (Fig. 67)

Pintail are found on the Alde Complex in nationally important numbers though numbers counted during Core counts have fallen in keeping with the national index. Numbers counted during Low Tide counts have also decreased, declining from a mean count of 434 birds (0.08 birds per ha) in 2001/02 to 141 (0.02 birds per ha) in 2010/11. Havergate Island, the landward side of Orfordness and between Hazelwood Marshes and Snape Maltings were favoured by Pintail in both years. The Lantern Marshes and the seaward side of Orfordness were the main areas where birds were more apparent in 2001/02 than in 2010/11.

In keeping with the trends at many other east coast estuaries, numbers of Black-tailed Godwit on the Alde Complex have increased dramatically in the last ten years and the species is now present in internationally important numbers. Low Tide Counts reflect this increase, with the mean count in 2010/11 of 852 (0.20 birds per ha) significantly higher than the 39 (0.01 birds per ha) in 2001/02. The main concentrations of Black-tailed Godwits in 2010/11 were on the north side of the River Alde between Hazlewood Marshes and Snape Maltings, (where there was a mean count of 336 birds) and along the south side of Iken Marshes (where there was a mean count of 252 birds). The north end of the Butley River was the main area in 2001/02 and this area was also favoured in 2010/11 along with Sudbourne Marshes.

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Figure 67. Low Tide distribution of Pintail (above) and Black-tailed Godwit (below) for the winters of 2001/02 (blue) and 2010/11 (red) on the Alde Complex. Yellow = intertidal; pale green = non-tidal; blue = subtidal. Grey areas were not counted in 2010/11.

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CHICHESTER HARBOUR

Site description

Chichester Harbour is a large and complex estuary, situated between Chichester and Havant. It is connected to Langstone Harbour to the west by a channel along the north side of Hayling Island. The Harbour is a land-locked area of deep salt-water channels; bounded by mud banks which are covered twice daily by tides flowing through the narrow entrance. There are sandbanks and shingle near the entrance and much of the shore at the high-tide mark is shingle. The river channels are muddy, whereas the intertidal areas south of Thorney Island are much sandier and support extensive areas of eelgrass and algae. Chichester Harbour is covered by international legislation, being designated as a Ramsar site and (combined with neighbouring Langstone Harbour) as an SPA. It also has national protection as a SSSI. The estuary is extremely popular with watersports enthusiasts, so although the majority of the shoreline is undeveloped with restricted access, the areas with public access tend to be heavily used.

General bird distribution 2010/11



With 55 species recorded during the Low Tide Counts, Chichester Harbour held the highest number of the sites counted. Four-figure counts were recorded for Shelduck and Wigeon, whilst, Teal, Pintail Mallard, Tufted Duck and Red-breasted Mergansers were all recorded in three-figure numbers. The Great Deeps, traditionally a favoured area for many wildfowl, were not counted in 2010/11; this will have affected the overall totals of these species. Single Black Brant, Smew, Red-throated Diver, two Slavonian Grebes and 26 European White-fronted Geese were more unusual visitors to Chichester Harbour in 2010/11.

Dunlin was the most numerous wader, with a mean site count of nearly 16,500 birds. Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit and Lapwing were also present in four-figure numbers, with the extensive mudflats on the south side of

Thorney Island being favoured by these species. An additional eight species (Oystercatcher, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Sanderling, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone) were recorded in three-figure numbers. Comparative bird distribution (Fig. 68)

Dark-bellied Brent Geese are found in internationally important numbers in Chichester Harbour, it being the third most important site for the species. It was by far the most numerous wildfowl species present in 2010/11, with a peak count of over 7,100 birds. Despite the Great Deeps not having been counted in 2010/11, the mean density was still almost double that of 2001/02, being 6,753 birds (2.15 birds per ha) compared with 3,626 birds (1.17 birds per ha). Dark-bellied Brent Geese are found throughout the site, with the top end of Bosham Channel and around Thorney Island used by distinct concentrations in both years.

Although Knot numbers on the Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA have been stable over the course of the last 25 years, in the last ten years they have seen a medium decline (http://www.bto.org/webs/alerts/). Low Tide Counts at Chichester Harbour do not reflect this decrease, however, with a mean site count of 3,569 (1.43 birds per ha) in 2010/11 compared to 580 (0.24 birds per ha) in 2001/02. The main concentration of Knots in 2010/11 was at the south end of Thorney Island where there was a mean count of 3,178 birds (7.93 birds per ha) compared with just 37 birds (0.09 birds per ha) in 2001/02. Another favoured area in 2010/11 was near Mengham on Hayling Island. In 2001/02, the main concentration was on the east side of Thorney Island with a mean of 264 birds (7.33 birds per ha), however despite the increased number of birds counted on the site in the recent winter this area was not widely used, with a mean of just eight birds (0.21 birds per ha).

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Figure 68. Low Tide distribution of Dark-bellied Brent Goose (above) and Knot (below) for the winters of 2001/02 (blue) and 20010/11 (red) at Chichester Harbour. Yellow = intertidal; pale green = non-tidal; blue = subtidal. Grey areas were not counted in 2010/11.

167

CROUCH-ROACH ESTUARY

Site description

The Crouch Estuary is traditionally considered together with its tributary, the Roach; the two converge on the coast of south Essex in eastern England. The River Crouch carves a shallow valley between two ridges of London Clay, whilst the River Roach is set predominantly between areas of brick earth and loams with patches of sand and gravel. Both rivers form dendritic creeks and low-lying riverine islands.

The surrounding habitat is almost exclusively lowland farmland and grazing marsh, with few urban developments. The intertidal zone along the rivers is 'squeezed' between the sea walls along both banks and the river channel, leaving a thin strip of tidal mud. The Crouch & Roach Estuary is an integral component of the phased Mid-Essex Coast SPA.

Threats to this SPA and environs are posed by disturbance caused by air activities, the development of a wharf, sea defences, homes and shops, car parks, marinas, holiday parks and an airport, and saltmarsh loss caused by sea-level rise. Seventy-five percent of the site is deemed by Natural England to be in unfavourable declining condition due mainly to saltmarsh erosion. General bird distribution 2010/11



With very little open mudflat habitat, numbers of wading birds are generally much lower on the Crouch-Roach than on other estuaries. Dunlin were the most abundant wader, present throughout the site and peaking at over 6,000 birds. Lapwing and Golden Plover were present in four-figure numbers, both favouring Bridgemarsh Island, Shelford Creek and the newly created managed realignment site on Wallasea Island. Redshank, typically, were numerous along the many creeks.

The narrow creeks also supported good numbers of Little Grebes with a peak count of 157 in December. Other wildfowl were present throughout the site, with Wigeon, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Teal and Shelduck

being the most numerous. As with the waders, Bridgemarsh Island and Shelford Creek were favoured areas for many wildfowl species along with Clementsgreen Creek and the bottom end of Paglesham Reach. Comparative bird distribution (Fig. 69)

Teal occur on the Crouch-Roach Estuary in large numbers, though just fall short of the national important threshold. Numbers here have risen steadily in the last few years and this increase has been reflected in the Low Tide Counts. The mean total for the site has gone up from 2,218 (0.72 birds per ha) in 2004/05 to 3,023 (1.04 birds per ha) in 2010/11. With its narrow creeks, the Crouch-Roach is ideal habitat for Teal. Present throughout much of the site, particular concentrations in both years were found at Clementsgreen Creek, along Paglesham Reach, Shelford Creek and at Great Wakering. The areas around Bridgemarsh Island and along Paglesham Creek were also favoured in 2010/11 which only held a few birds in 2004/05, whilst the managed realignment site on Wallasea Island held the highest densities with a mean density of 7.87 birds per ha, which may also account for the increase in the overall mean total.

The Crouch-Roach, along with many east coast sites has seen a steady rise in the number of wintering Avocets over the past decade. Even between the most recent sets of Low Tide counts, this increase is apparent, with the mean site total increasing from 251 (0.26 birds per ha) in 2004/05 to 328 (0.32 birds per ha) in 2010/11. In both years, the favoured areas were along Paglesham Reach and along the east side of Potton Island. In 2010/11, birds were also recorded along the seafront area of Burnham-on-Crouch, an area not used extensively in 2004/05.

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Figure 69. Low Tide distribution of Teal (above) and Avocet (below) for the winters of 2004/05 (blue) and 2010/11 (red) on Crouch-Roach Estuary. Yellow = intertidal; pale green = non-tidal; blue = subtidal. Grey areas were not counted in 2010/11.

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TRAETH LAFAN (LAVAN SANDS)

Site description

Traeth Lafan is an extensive intertidal area situated at the northern end of the Menai Strait, between Bangor and Llanfairfechan. Three freshwater streams flow across the flats at low tide. There are a variety of habitats including both exposed and sheltered areas of sand, mudflats with an area of shingle, and mussel beds near Bangor. Some relatively small areas of saltmarsh have developed along the shore, particularly at the mouth of the Rhaeadrfawr and south-west of Llanfairfechan. The intertidal flats support an abundance of invertebrate fauna, which in turn attract large numbers of waterbirds. Industrial activity is limited, however, recreational and leisure use occurs. Boating, sailing and windsurfing take place in the channel, whilst walkers and dogs can cause disturbance to high tide roosts along the mainland coastline. Wildfowling, along with commercial and small-scale cockle gathering is another feature. Potential threats include oil pollution and the establishment of cord-grass in a small area of the site. General bird distribution 2010/11



With its large open mudflats, Traeth Lafan supports high numbers of many species. However, the mean totals were not as high as may have been expected owing to the fact that many birds shelter within inaccessible gullies at low tide, and so can only be seen when they are flushed (R. Pritchard pers. comm.). Only Oystercatcher and Dunlin were recorded in four figure numbers. Lapwing, Knot, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone were all recorded in three figures with the Bangor Flats close to Bangor and opposite Beaumaris being the most favoured areas. Single Jack Snipe and Whimbrel represented more unusual records for the WeBS Low Tide count scheme. Whilst many waders typically favoured the open flats, many of the wildfowl species were much closer to shore on the Bangor Flats, at Abergwyngregyn and Llanfairfechan. Wigeon was the most numerous duck, peaking at 420 birds, whilst

Mallard and Pintail were also recorded in three figure counts. Little Egret numbers peaked at 22 birds in November, with birds present on the Bangor Flats and along the Menai Straits towards the Menai Bridge. Comparative bird distribution (Fig. 70)

Numbers of Shelduck in Britain have shown a steady decline in the last ten years, as the population may have experienced a slight eastward shift across the North Sea into The Netherlands (Holt et al. 2011). Low Tide Counts at Traeth Lafan during this period have also mirrored this, with the mean site count of 439 (0.09 birds per ha) falling to 305 (0.07 birds per ha) in 2010/11. The favoured area for Shelduck within Traeth Lafan is on the sheltered Bangor Flats around Bangor. In 2010/11, fewer birds were seen on the more open flats towards Abergwyngregyn than in 2002/03, possibly in response to a colder winter. Birds were also present along the Anglesey coast between Beaumaris and Fryars Road. Oystercatchers are present at Traeth Lafan in nationally important numbers, with a five-year mean of 6,606 birds based on Core counts (p. 102 this report). Numbers of Oystercatchers have increased over the past 25 years and are stable during the last ten years (see http://www.bto.org/webs/alerts/). Low Tide Counts have shown a slight decline between 2002/03 and 2010/11, falling from a mean site count of 5,609 (1.74 birds per ha) to 4,626 (1.43 birds per ha). In both years, Oystercatchers were found in high densities off Llanfairfechan, though in 2002/03 the mean density here was 3.73 birds per ha (mean count of 932 birds) compared with 2.26 birds per ha (mean count of 566 birds) in 2010/11. In 2002/03, the other favoured area was north of Aber Ogwen, but in 2010/11 the main concentration was further to the west on Bangor Flats and on the Anglesey coast south of Beaumaris. Dutchman Bank was also used much more extensively by Oystercatchers in 2010/11 than in 2002/03.

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Figure 70. Low Tide distribution of Shelduck (above) and Oystercatcher (1 dot = 2 birds) (below) for the winters of 2002/03 (blue) and 2010/11 (red) at Traeth Lafan. Yellow = intertidal; blue = subtidal.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are very grateful to the following people and organisations that contributed to the WeBS Low Tide Count scheme in the winter of 2010/11. Apologies to anyone omitted accidentally from the list. Organisers: Hugh Thurgate, George Henderson, Chris Tyas, Rick Vonk, Mick Wright, Jim Rowe, Mark Smart, Chris Cockburn, Bob Howells, Ed Wiseman, Dave Hughes, Russell Wood, Ian Castle, Ed Rowsell, Rhion Pritchard Graham Johnstone, Simon Taylor, John Armitage, Michael Carrier, Andy Riches. Other counters: Alastair Flannagan, Colin Peake, James Gloyn, Ralph Loughlin, Barry Collins, Brian Fellows, Stephen Gilbert, Horace Lee, John and Kay Shillitoe, Christopher Vine, Richard Williamson, C Woodburn, Ken Wright, Jeremy High, Andy Johnson, Owen Parker, Richard Black, Georgia Siddle, M Evans, Sophie Flax, John Arnott, Chris Lewis, Martin Smith, Paul Charlton, Peter Davidson, Jeff Delve, John Green, Tim Lawrence, Peter Mason, Nick Robson, Jillian Taylor, Steven Swaby, Leslie Pomphrett, Suzanne Grimwood, D Bruce, Mike Andrews, N Green, Jason Cook, Anne de Potier, Pete Potts, David Ellis, Geoff Gibbs, Gareth Howells, Gareth Jones, Buckley Jones, John Small, E.Rees, Stuart Graham, Bob Davison, Stephanie Elliot, Kate Horsfall, Dave Fairlamb, Norman Holton, Dave Shackleton, Frank Mawby, Anna White, Malcolm Ginns, Peter Jeavons, Anthony Bowman, Ian Enlander, Niall McCutcheon, James McNair, Paddy Mackie, Kerry Mackie, Jim Wilson, Dot Blakeley, Jon Lees, Kevin Mawhinney, Margaret Magre, Seamus Magouran, Andrew Upton, Jo Whatmough, Craig McCoy, Terry Paton, David Thompson, Liane Hamill, Frances Donan, Philip Johnston, Tamsin Roberts, Cal James, Alan Silcock, Andrew Crory, Rachael Bain, Richard Weyl, Bryan Pinchen, John Coit, Reg Etheridge, Rodney West, Dave Crawshaw, John Davies, Norman Lloyd, James McLeod, Michael Pratt, Dudley Sheppard, Barry Moss, Kieren Alexander, Aaron Howe, Terry Bugg, and Suffolk Wildlife Trust. We would also like to acknowledge Harwich Haven Authority for their part in funding the Stour and Orwell counts.

Robert Gillmor

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Reay, P. & Kent, P. 2011. How many Avocets now winter on the Tamar. Devon Birds 64: 32-35. Reed, J. 2011a. Taiga Bean Geese in Britain in 2010/11. GooseNews 10:16. Reed, J. 2011b. Breeding success of European White-fronted Geese in 2010. GooseNews 10:19. Reed, J. 2011c. Breeding success in Dark-bellied Brent Geese in 2010/11. GooseNews 10:23. Rees, E.C. & Beekman, J.H. 2010. Northwest European Bewick’s Swans: a population in decline. British Birds 103: 640-650. Rehfisch, M.M, Austin, G.E., Freeman, S.N., Armitage, M.J.S. & Burton, N.H.K. 2004. The possible impact of climate change on the future distribution and numbers of waders on Britain’s non-estuarine coast. Ibis 146: 70-81. Reneerkens, J., Behoussa, A., Boland, H., Collier, M., Grond, K., Gunther, K., Hallgrimson, G.T., Hansen, J., Meissner, W., de Meulenaar, B., Ntiamoa-Baidu, Y., Piersma, T., Poot, M., van Roomen, M., Summers, R.W., Tomkovich, P.S. & Underhill, L.G. 2009. Sanderlings using African-Eurasian flyways: a review of current knowledge. Wader Study Group Bulletin 116: 2-20. Rose, P.M. & Stroud, D.A. 1994. Estimating international waterfowl populations: current activity and future directions. Wader Study

Group Bulletin 73: 19-26. Sauter, A., Korner-Nievergelt, F. & Jenni, L. 2010. Evidence of climate change effects on within-winter movements of European Mallards Anas

platyrhynchos. Ibis 152: 600-609. Scott, D.A. & Rose, P.M. 1996. Atlas of Anatidae

populations in Africa and western Eurasia. Wetlands International Publ. 41, Wageningen. Skov, H., Heinänen, S., Žydelis, R, Bellebaum, J., Bzoma, S., Dagys, M., Durinck, J., Garthe, S., Grishanov, G., Hario, M., Kieckbusch, J.J., Kube, J., Kuresoo, A., Larsson, K., Luigujoe, L., Meissner, W., Nehls, H.W., Nilsson, L., Petersen, I.K., Roos, M.M., Pihl, S., Sonntag, N., Stock, A., Stipniece, A. & Wahl, J. 2011. Waterbird

Populations and Pressures in the Baltic Sea.

TemaNord 2011: 550. Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen.

Soloviev, M. & Tomkovich, P. (Eds.). 2011. Arctic

birds: an international breeding conditions

survey. Online DB: http://www.arcticbirds.ru/ Accessed 9 May 2012.

Thaxter, C.B., Sansom, A., Thewlis, R.M., Calbrade, N.A., Ross-Smith, V.H., Bailey, S., Mellan, H.J. & Austin, G.E. 2010. Wetland Bird Survey Alerts 2006/07: Changes in numbers of wintering waterbirds in the Constituent Countries of the United Kingdom, SPAs and SSSIs. BTO Research Report 506. BTO, Thetford. Tomkanova, I., Reid, N., Boland, H. & Fox, A.D. (in prep.). Are declines in the diving water bird guild at Lough Neagh Special Protection Area due to flyway causes? Trinder, M.N,., Rowcliffe, J.M., Pettifor, R.A. & Rees, E.C. 2005. Information paper: Status and population viability of the pink-footed goose in the UK. Institute of Zoology/WWT, 18 pp. Trinder, M., Mitchell, C., Swann, R.L. & Urquhart, C. 2010. Status and population viability of Icelandic Greylag Geese Anser anser in Scotland. Wildfowl 60: 64-84. Wernham, C.V., Toms, M.P., Marchant, J.H., Clark, J.A., Siriwardena, G.M. & Baillie, S.R. (Eds). 2002. The Migration Atlas: movements of birds

of Britain & Ireland. T & AD Poyser, London. Wetlands International. 2012. “Waterbird

Population Estimates”. Retrieved from wpe.wetlands.org – 20 August 2012. Wotton, S., Grantham, M., Moran, N. & Gilbert, G. 2011. Bittern distribution and abundance in the UK during the 2009/10 winter. British Birds

104: 636-641. Zipkin, E.F., Gardner, B., Gilbert, A.T., O’Connell, A.F., Royle, J.A. & Silverman, E.D. 2010. Distribution patterns of sea ducks in relation to the North Atlantic Oscillation and environmental characteristics. Oecologia 163: 893-902.

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Glossary

The terms listed below are generally restricted to those that have been adopted specifically for use within WeBS or more widely for monitoring. 1% criterion The criterion identifies sites as being of international importance if at least 1% of the waterbirds of a particular migratory flyway or population regularly make use of a site during their annual cycle. The term thus relates to the proportion (1%) that is used as a criterion of site selection. First used in the Ramsar Convention, the 1% criterion is used widely in assessment of site importance. 1% threshold This logically derives from the 1%

criterion and relates to the number of birds that are used as the nominal 1% of the population for the purposes of site selection. Thus, an international population of 82,000 Oystercatcher has a derived 1% threshold of 8,200. African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird

Agreement (AEWA) An independent international treaty developed under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (‘Bonn Convention’). Parties to the Agreement are called upon to engage in a wide range of conservation actions addressing key issues such as species and habitat conservation, management of human activities, research and monitoring, education and information, and implementation. www.unep-aewa.org All-Ireland Comprises the whole island of Ireland (Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland). British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) The BTO is a well-respected organisation, combining the skills of professional scientists and volunteer birdwatchers to carry out research on birds in all habitats and throughout the year. Data collected by the various surveys form the basis of extensive and unique databases, which enable the BTO to objectively advise conservation bodies, government agencies, planners and scientists on a diverse range of issues involving birds. www.bto.org Complex site A WeBS site that consists of two or more WeBS sectors.

Core Counts The fundamental WeBS counts that monitor all types of wetlands throughout the UK once per month on, or as near as possible to, pre-selected priority dates. Used to determine population estimates and trends and identify important sites.

Great Britain The countries of England Scotland and Wales (excludes the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man).

Incomplete counts When presenting counts of an individual species, a large proportion of the number of birds was suspected to have been missed, e.g. due to part coverage of the site or poor counting conditions, or when presenting the total number of birds of all species on the site, a significant proportion of the total number was missed.

I-WeBS An independent but complementary scheme operating in the Republic of Ireland to monitor non-breeding waterbirds, organised by BirdWatch Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland) and The Wildfowl &

Wetlands Trust. http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Default.aspx?tabid=111 Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) JNCC is the statutory body constituted by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to be responsible for research and advice on nature conservation at both UK and international levels. The committee is established by Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales, together with independent representatives from the Countryside Commission and Northern Ireland, and is supported by specialist staff. www.jncc.gov.uk

Local Organiser Person responsible for coordinating counters and counts at a local level, normally a county or large estuary, and the usual point of contact with the WeBS office.

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Low Tide Counts (LTC) WeBS counts made at low tide to assess the relative importance of different parts of individual estuaries as feeding areas for intertidal waterbirds. Nordic Waterbirds and Climate Network

(NOWAC) A research group investigating distribution of waterbirds in Nordic countries with particular reference to climate change. Priority date Pre-determined dates published by the WeBS Office to aid coordination of surveys. Counters are asked to count on, or as near as possible to, priority dates to minimise the risk of missing birds or double counting. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) The RSPB is the charity that takes action for wild birds and the environment in the UK. The RSPB is the national BirdLife partner in the UK. www.rspb.org.uk

United Kingdom Great Britain and Northern Ireland (excludes the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man).

Waterbirds WeBS follows the definition adopted by Wetlands International. This includes a large number of families, those occurring regularly in the UK being divers, grebes, cormorants, herons, storks, ibises and spoonbills, wildfowl, cranes, rails, waders, gulls and terns.

WeBS count unit The area/boundary within which a count is made. The generic term for WeBS sites, WeBS sub-sites and WeBS sectors.

WeBS Office Main administrative centre for the day-to-day running of WeBS and main point of contact for information or data pertaining to WeBS ([email protected]).

WeBS Online The online database for the submission and retrieval of WeBS Core Count, Low Tide Count and supplementary data. www.bto.org/webs

WeBS sector The unit of division of large sites into areas that can be counted by one person in a reasonable time period. They are often demarcated by geographic features to facilitate recognition of the boundary by counters. The finest level at which data are recorded.

WeBS site A biologically meaningful area that represents a discrete area used by waterbirds such that birds regularly move within but only occasionally between sites. The highest level at which count data are stored.

WeBS sub-site A grouping of sectors within a site to facilitate coordination. In most cases, sub-sites also relate to biologically meaningful units for describing waterbird distribution.

WeBS-Year Defined as July to June inclusive, the WeBS-Year is centred on the time when most waterbird species are present in largest numbers, during winter. Counts during autumn passage and spring passage the following calendar year are logically associated with the intervening winter.

Wetlands International A leading global non-profit organisation whose mission is to sustain and restore wetlands, their resources and biodiversity for future generations through research, information exchange and conservation activities, worldwide. www.wetlands.org

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) Founded in 1946, WWT is the largest international wetland conservation charity in the UK. WWT works to conserve wetlands and their biodiversity, focusing on waterbirds and their habitats. It seeks to raise awareness of the value of wetlands, the threats they face and the actions needed to save them. www.wwt.org.uk

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Appendices

APPENDIX 1. INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL IMPORTANCE

Any site recognised as being of international ornithological importance is considered for classification as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the EC Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (EC/79/409), whilst a site recognised as an internationally important wetland qualifies for designation as a Ramsar site under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat. Criteria for assessing the international importance of wetlands have been agreed by the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention Bureau 1988). Under criterion 6, a wetland is considered internationally important if it regularly holds at least 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird, while criterion 5 states that any site regularly supporting 20,000 or more waterbirds also qualifies. Britain and Ireland’s wildfowl belong, in most cases, to the northwest European population and the waders to the east Atlantic flyway population (Wetlands International 2006).

A wetland in Britain is considered nationally important if it regularly holds 1% or more of the estimated British population of one species or subspecies of waterbird, and in Northern Ireland important in an all-Ireland context if it holds 1% or more of the estimated all-Ireland population.

The 1% thresholds for British, all-Ireland and international waterbird populations, where known, are listed in Table A1. Thus, any site

regularly supporting at least this number of birds potentially qualifies for designation under national legislation, or the EC Birds Directive or Ramsar Convention. The international population for each species and subspecies is also specified in the table. However, it should be noted that, where 1% of the national population is less than 50 birds, 50 is normally used as a minimum qualifying threshold for the designation of sites of national or international importance.

It was agreed at the meeting of the Ramsar Convention in Brisbane that population estimates will be reviewed by Wetlands International every three years and 1% thresholds revised every nine years (Rose & Stroud 1994; Ramsar Resolution VI.4). 1% thresholds have not been derived for introduced species since protected sites would not be identified for these birds.

Sources of qualifying levels represent the most up-to-date figures following recent reviews: for wildfowl and waders in Britain see Musgrove et al. (2011); for gulls in Britain see Banks et al. (2007); for all-Ireland importance see Crowe et al. (2008). International criteria follow the revised population estimates of Wetlands International (2012).

It should be noted that for some populations, where the British total is the international total, the precise figure given for the estimates may differ because of different rounding conventions applied in the relevant publications.

Table A1. 1% thresholds for national and international importance Great Britain all-Ireland International Subspecies/Population Mute Swan: British 740 n/a 320 Britain Irish n/a 110 100 Ireland Bewick's Swan 70 *20 220 bewickii, NW Europe (non-br) Whooper Swan 110 130 270 Iceland (br) Bean Goose: Taiga *4 + 420 fabalis Bean Goose: Tundra *3 + 5,500 rossicus Pink-footed Goose 3,600 + 3,500 Greenland, Iceland (br) European White-fronted Goose *24 + 12,000 albifrons, Baltic-North Sea Greenland White-fronted Goose 130 110 240 flavirostris Greylag Goose: Iceland 850 50 980 anser, Iceland (br) British/Irish 1,400 ? ? anser, Britain/Ireland Barnacle Goose: Greenland 580 90 710 E Greenland (br) Svalbard 330 + 300 Svalbard (br)

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Table A1. continued Great Britain all-Ireland International Subspecies/Population Dark-bellied Brent Goose 910 + 2,400 Bernicla, W Siberia (br) Light-bellied Brent Goose: Canada *7 220 400 hrota, Ireland (non-br) Svalbard *34 + 75 hrota, Svalbard, N Greenland (br) Shelduck 610 150 3,000 NW Europe (br) Wigeon 4,400 820 15,000 NW Europe (non-br) Gadwall 250 20 600 strepera, NW Europe (br) Teal 2,100 450 5,000 NW Europe (non-br) Mallard 6,800 380 **20,000 platyrhynchos, NW Europe (non-br) Pintail 290 20 600 NW Europe (non-br) Garganey + + **20,000 W Africa (non-br) Shoveler 180 25 400 NW & C Europe (non-br) Red-crested Pochard + + 500 C Europe & W Mediterranean Pochard 380 400 3,000 NE & NW Europe (non-br) Tufted Duck 1,100 370 12,000 NW Europe (non-br) Scaup 52 *45 3,100 marila, W Europe (non-br) Eider 550 *30 10,300 mollissima, NW Europe1 Eider: Shetland 55 + 85 faeroensis, NW Europe1 Long-tailed Duck 110 + 16,000 W Siberia, N Europe (br) Common Scoter 1,000 230 5,500 nigra Velvet Scoter *25 + 4,500 fusca, Baltic, W Europe (non-br) Goldeneye 200 95 11,400 clangula, NW & Central Europe

(non-br) Smew *2 + 400 NW & C Europe (non-br) Red-breasted Merganser 84 *35 1,700 NW & C Europe (non-br) Goosander 120 + 2,700 merganser, NW Europe2 Red-throated Diver 170 *20 2,600 NW Europe (non-br) Black-throated Diver *6 *1 3,500 arctica Great Northern Diver *25 ? 50 NW Europe (non-br) Little Grebe 160 25 3,900 ruficollis Great Crested Grebe 190 50 3,500 cristatus Red-necked Grebe *1 ? 500 grisegena, NW Europe (non-br) Slavonian Grebe *11 ? 55 auritus, NW Europe (large billed) Black-necked Grebe *1 ? 2,100 nigricollis, Europe, N Africa Cormorant 350 140 1,200 carbo, NW Europe Shag 1,100 ? 2,000 aristotelis Little Egret 45 ? 1,300 garzetta, W Europe, NW Africa Grey Heron 610 30 2,700 cinerea, W Europe, NW Africa (br) Moorhen 3,200 ? **20,000 chloropus, Europe, N Africa (br) Coot 1,800 330 17,500 atra, NW Europe (non-br) Oystercatcher 3,200 680 8,200 ostralegus, Europe, NW Africa Avocet 75 + 730 W Europe (br) Ringed Plover 340 150 730 hiaticula, Europe & N Africa (non-br) Golden Plover 4,000 1,700 9,300 altifrons, Iceland & Faeroes, E

Atlantic3 Grey Plover 430 65 2,500 E Atlantic (non-br) Lapwing 6,200 2,100 **20,000 Europe (br) Knot 3,200 190 4,500 islandica Sanderling 160 65 1,200 E Atlantic, W & S Africa (non-br) Purple Sandpiper 130 *35 710 maritima, E Atlantic Dunlin 3,500 880 13,300 alpina, W Europe (non-br)4 Ruff *8 + 12,200 W Africa (non-br) Jack Snipe 1,000 250 20,000 NE Europe (br) Snipe 10,000 ? **20,000 gallinago, Europe (br) Woodcock 14,000 ? **20,000 Europe (br) Black-tailed Godwit 430 140 610 islandica Bar-tailed Godwit 380 160 1,200 lapponica Whimbrel *1 + 6,700 islandicus Curlew 1,400 550 8,400 arquata Spotted Redshank *1 + 850 Europe (br) Redshank 1,200 310 2,400 robusta5 Greenshank *6 *20 2,300 Europe (br) Green Sandpiper *9 ? 15,500 Europe (br) Common Sandpiper *1 ? 17,300 N, W & C Europe (br) Turnstone 480 120 1,400 interpres, NE Canada, Greenland

(br)

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Table A1. continued Great Britain all-Ireland International Subspecies/Population Little Gull ? ? 1,100 N, C & E Europe (br) Black-headed Gull 22,000 ? **20,000 N & C Europe (br) Common Gull 7,000 ? 16,400 canus Lesser Black-backed Gull 1,200 ? 5,500 graellsii Herring Gull 7,300 ? 10,200 argenteus6 Great Black-backed Gull 760 ? 4,200 NE Atlantic Kittiwake ? ? **20,000 tridactyla, E Atlantic (br) Sandwich Tern ? ? 1,700 sandvicensis, W Europe (br) Common Tern ? ? 1,800 hirundo, S, W Europe (br) Little Tern ? ? 190 albifrons, W Europe (br) Black Tern ? ? 7,500 niger ? Population size not accurately known. + Population too small for meaningful figure to be obtained. * Where 1% of the British or all-Ireland wintering population is less than 50 birds, 50 is normally used as a

minimum qualifying level for national or all-Ireland importance respectively. ** A site regularly holding more than 20,000 waterbirds qualifies as internationally important by virtue of

absolute numbers. 1 Following the recommendations of Scott & Rose (1996) and Furness et al. (2010), Common Eiders

Somateria mollissima on Shetland are treated as a separate population from those elsewhere in Britain, and are now treated as such by Wetlands International (2012).

2 Wetlands International (2012) considers Goosanders breeding in Scotland, northern England and Wales

to be a discrete population. However, a review of available data by DEFRA's SPA and Ramsar Scientific Working Group found limited evidence to support this conclusion, and recommended that for site-selection purposes, British Goosanders continue to be considered as a component of the NW and C European population of Goosander, with an international 1% threshold of 2,700.

3 Three populations of Golden Plover listed by Wetlands International (2012) overlap in the UK in winter.

Draft guidelines from Ramsar suggest that the largest of the three thresholds (i.e. that for altifrons, Iceland & Faeroes, E Atlantic) should be used for site-selection purposes.

4 Whilst several populations of Dunlin occur in the UK at different times of the year, most wintering birds are

referable to the listed population. 5 Three populations of Redshank listed by Wetlands International (2012) overlap in the UK in winter:

totanus E Atlantic (non-br), robusta and brittanica. Most totanus winter outside the UK but the other populations are known to occur widely. Draft guidelines from Ramsar suggest that the larger of the two thresholds (i.e. that for brittanica) should be used for site-selection purposes.

6 Two populations of Herring Gull overlap in the winter in the UK; argentatus and argenteus. Whilst

substantial numbers of argentatus appear to winter in the UK, the largest proportion of Herring Gulls in winter is probably of argenteus. Following Ramsar guidance and given the conservation status of British-breeding Herring Gulls, the threshold for argenteus is used in this report for site-selection purposes.

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APPENDIX 2. LOCATIONS OF PRINCIPAL WeBS COUNT SITES

Table A2 provides details of principal WeBS sites mentioned in the Principal Sites table (Table 6.). Sites are listed alphabetically with details of the central Ordnance Survey 1-km square. Numbers

following Principal Core Count sites refer to the sites’ location in Figure A1. Details of all WeBS sites are available from www.bto.org/webs or the WeBS Office (see CONTACTS).

Table A2. Details for Principal Sites mentioned in Table 6. Numbers refer to the sites’ location in figure A1.

Site 1-km sq Abberton Reservoir TL9618 111 Alde Complex TM4257 104 Alt Estuary SD2903 85 Arun Valley TQ0314 120 Baleshare NF7862 18 Balnakeil Bay NC3869 9 Balranald Nat. Res. NF7169 15 Beaulieu Estuary SZ4297 126 Belfast Lough IJ3983 73 Blackwater Estuary TL9307 110 Breydon Water & Berney Marshes

TG4706 99

Broubster Leans ND0361 10 Burry Inlet SS5096 138 Cameron Reservoir NO4611 40 Carlingford Lough IJ1814 77 Carmarthen Bay SN2501 139 Carsebreck and Rhynd Lochs

NN8609 45

Chew Valley Lake ST5659 135 Chichester Harbour SU7700 122 Cleddau Estuary SN0005 140 Colne Estuary TM0614 109 Cotswold Water Park (West)

SU0595 136

Cromarty Firth NH7771 26 Crouch-Roach Est. TQ9895 105 Dalreoch NN9917 46 Deben Estuary TM2942 106 Dee Estuary England and Wales

SJ2675 89

Dee Flood Meadows SJ4059 90 Dengie Flats TM0302 112 Dornoch Firth NH7384 29 Duddon Estuary SD2081 80 Dungeness GPs TR0619 119 Dyfi Estuary SN6394 141 Eden Estuary NO4619 39 Exe Estuary SX9883 132 Fleet and Wey SY6976 131 Forth Estuary NT2080 48 Gadloch NS6471 52 Hamford Water TM2225 103 Hickling Broad TG4221 96 Holburn Moss NU0536 61 Hornsea Mere TA1846 83 Hule Moss NT7149 59 Humber Estuary TA2020 84 Inner Firth of Clyde NS3576 50 Inner Moray and Inverness Firth

NH6752 28

Island of Egilsay HY4831 1 Isle of Coll NM2055 24 Kentra Moss and Lower Loch Shiel

NM7168 25

Kilconquhar Loch NO4801 42 Lake of Menteith NN5700 49 Langstone Harbour SU6902 123 Lavan Sands SH6474 142 Lee Valley GPs TL3807 102 Lindisfarne NU1041 62 Loch An Eilein NL9843 22 Loch Bee NF7743 17 Loch Bhasapoll NL9746 21 Loch Eye NH8379 30 Loch Fleet Complex NH7896 27 Loch Garten NH9718 36 Loch Gorm NR2365 55 Loch Gruinart Floods NR2766 56 Loch Hempriggs ND3447 12 Loch Ken NX6672 64 Loch Leven NO1501 43 Loch Lomond NS3599 51 Loch Paible NF7168 14 Loch Riaghain NM0347 23 Loch Sandary NF7368 16 Loch Scarmclate ND1859 11 Loch Slapin NG5516 19 Loch Spynie NJ2366 31 Loch Tullybelton NO0034 47 Loch a` Phuill NL9541 20 Loch of Boardhouse HY2625 4 Loch of Harray HY2915 7 Loch of Hundland HY2926 3 Loch of Lintrathen NO2754 38 Loch of Skaill HY2418 5 Loch of Skene NJ7807 35 Loch of Stenness HY2813 8 Loch of Strathbeg NK0660 32 Loch of Swannay HY3128 2 Lough Foyle IC5925 71 Loughs Neagh& Beg IJ0475 72 Lower Derwent Ings SE6939 82 Lower Lough Erne IH0960 79 Lower Teviot Valley NT6725 58 Medway Estuary TQ8471 114 Mersehead RSPB NX9255 66 Mersey Estuary SJ4578 88 Middle Yare Marshes TG3504 98 Milldam & Balfour Mains Pools

HY4817 6

Moine Mhor & Add Estuary

NR8293 53

Montrose Basin NO7057 37 Morecambe Bay SD4070 81 Nene Washes TF3300 92 North Norfolk Coast TF8546 95 North West Solent SZ3395 127 Orchardton and Auchencairn Bays

NX8151 65

Orwell Estuary TM2238 107

Ouse Washes TL5394 93 Outer Ards Shoreline IJ6660 76 Outer Loch Indaal NR2353 54 Pagham Harbour SZ8796 121 Pegwell Bay TR3561 116 Pitsford Reservoir SP7870 100 Poole Harbour SY9988 130 Portsmouth Harbour SU6204 124 R Clyde: Carstairs to Thankerton

NS9841 57

Ribble Estuary SD3825 87 R.Avon: Fordingbr’- Ringwood

SU1410 128

R.Avon: Ringwood- Christchurch

SZ1499 129

R.Nith: Keltonbank – Nunholm

NX9774 67

R.Tay: Haughs of Kercock

NO1339 44

Rutland Water SK9307 91 Rye Harbour and Pett Level

TQ9418 117

Severn Estuary ST5084 137 Slains Lochs (Meikle, Sand & Cotehill)

NK0230 33

Solway Estuary NY1060 69 Somerset Levels ST4137 134 Southampton Water SU4507 125 St Benet`s Levels TG3815 97 Stour Estuary TM1732 108 Strangford Lough IJ5460 74 Swale Estuary TQ9765 115 Taw-Torridge Est. SS4731 133 Tay Estuary NO4828 41 Tees Estuary NZ5528 70 Thames Estuary TQ7880 113 The Wash TF5540 94 Traigh Luskentyre NG0599 13 Tring Reservoirs SP9113 101 Tweed Estuary NU0052 60 Upper Lough Erne IH3131 78 Upper Quoile River IJ4745 75 Walland Marsh TQ9923 118 Wigtown Bay NX4456 63 WWT Caerlaverock NY0565 68 WWT Martin Mere SD4214 86 Ythan Estuary NK0026 34

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Figure A1. Locations of Core WeBS sites supporting more than 10,000 waterbirds or which support internationally important numbers of one or more waterbird species (see PRINCIPAL SITES). Numbers refer to sites listed in Table A2.

Waterbirds in the UK 2010/11 - Wetland Bird Survey

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